The Ferrari team’s problems began at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, where Carlos Sainz got stuck in the gravel at the first corner of the race and Charles Leclerc made a mistake chasing Sergio Pérez when a podium finish was almost assured. Since then, the Italians have not raised their heads, and it is that Red Bull has managed to close the gap in the two world championships to place first with five consecutive victories.
Bad luck hit the Monegasque driver especially, and when he was leading in two grand prix, in Spain and in Azerbaijan, he was forced to leave due to mechanical problems in his power unit. These breakdowns cost 50 points in total, although in reality they are more, since not only did they not add up, but those triumphs went to Max Verstappen, who now leads the standings with a 34-point advantage over Leclerc.
Ferrari has had to analyze the situation, and before they went out to shoot in the ninth round of the 2022 season, the Canadian Grand Prix, they issued a statement announcing the worst news for the Monaco driver: “It confirms that Charles [Leclerc]’s engine broke down in Baku.”
“Among the various hypotheses is that it could be a damage from the problem that appeared in Spain, so it would be an indirect fault. However, we are working on measures to make the project more solid and the situation is controlled” , they indicated from the Maranello box.
Thus, the most successful team in history will have to decide what they do in Canada, whether to mount a new power unit in the Monegasque car or return to the propeller and the elements that were released at the beginning of the year. If they choose the first option, they will have to face a grid penalty for Sunday’s race because they would exceed the maximum limit of components allowed by the FIA , and if they take the second path, they will be at a disadvantage compared to their rivals because they would have some parts with higher mileage, plus they are the ones they use in free practice.
The ball is in the court of Ferrari and Charles Leclerc, and they must act quickly if they do not want the fight for the world championship to be decaffeinated, because otherwise, it will be another blank year for those from Maranello, who do not add a title since the constructors in 2008, when Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa were still in their ranks.
