The lately launched improve bundle has left Ferrari floundering, with Carlos Sainz fearing the staff has taken an enormous step backwards.
From the outset the improve, launched in Spain, has confirmed problematic, particularly the brand new flooring, a lot in order that within the final couple of races the SF-24 has been seen bouncing in high-speed corners.
Over the Silverstone weekend the Maranello outfit tried various issues, finally selecting a return to the Imola configuration.
Although this appeared to alleviate the bouncing it meant an total lack of tempo, because the Italian staff misplaced floor to the ever-improving Mercedes and McLaren.
“It isn’t ok,” mentioned Sainz, who completed 35s down on fourth-placed Oscar Piastri. “We now have principally the identical automotive as in Imola and since Imola everybody has upgraded, most likely added two tenths to the automotive and we now have needed to revert.
“We now have misplaced two or three months of efficiency acquire within the wind tunnel or efficiency we might have added in these three months,” he added, “so clearly we have not taken the appropriate calls lately.
“I really feel like Sunday was a minimum of back-to-basics, again to a automotive which was in Imola and we simply must improve it from right here. However it’s clear that our rivals are a superb step forward of us.
“I believe we did the utmost,” he mentioned of his British Grand Prix, which for the second successive race noticed him because the staff’s solely level scorer. “Particularly in the course of the race when it was slicks-on-wet. I managed to catch the rostrum positions by six or seven seconds in these circumstances that I all the time get pleasure from.
“Actually, all of the calls had been just about spot on, all of the tyres, all of the radio calls,” he added. “It was only a disgrace we weren’t quicker as a result of I really feel like we’d have been 100% within the combat for the rostrum or the win. However fifth and a bonus level on the finish with the quickest lap, so we have to be joyful.”
Waiting for the 2 races earlier than the summer time break he fears the issues will proceed.
“We are going to bounce in Turns 4 and 11,” he mentioned of the Hungaroring, “however till one thing higher comes we might should reside with bouncing for some time. In high-speed tracks we’d should run the ground of this bundle as a result of if not, the opposite one is undriveable.
“I belief the staff will make the appropriate calls circuit-to-circuit till a extra stable bundle, which isn’t bouncing in high-speed and good in low-speed, arrives after which we are going to begin excited about battling the highest three groups once more.”
Nonetheless, staff boss Fred Vasseur disagrees, feeling that the staff truly took a step ahead at Silverstone.
“It is tough to say this after the consequence, however I believe we did a step ahead this weekend, a minimum of on the technical facet,” mentioned the Frenchman. “We now have a significantly better understanding of the state of affairs Sunday night than Friday morning, and this I believe is encouraging for the final a part of the season.
“For certain the consequence at present will not be best,” he admitted, “however we compromised primarily the consequence yesterday, that greater than at present. Carlos did a stable race, that he was in a position to come again on Max on the primary int and to remain 10 laps within the gearbox of Max, with medium at the start of the race.
“On Charles it is a bit extra chaotic,” he added, “as a result of he was caught behind Stroll, he misplaced 10 seconds, and once we had the primary name for the pit cease, it was a bit on the sting.
“I believe we had precisely the identical state of affairs final yr, virtually on the identical stage of the season,” he continued. “Silverstone, Budapest, Spa… and we stopped it in Zandvoort to do an entire scan of the state of affairs, and we had a superb restoration, as a result of the weeks after we had been there.
“What is hard on this state of affairs is that when you could have a problem, you do not have a correct take a look at to repair it, or a minimum of to grasp it. And it is fairly tough as a staff typically to compromise or sacrifice a Friday session, when you recognize that you’re dropping a little bit little bit of time in the course of the weekend. And to say, ‘OK, let’s neglect about FP1, FP2, be centered on mid-term’.
“Belief me, this determination as a staff may be very tough, since you begin the weekend, and it was even worse in Silverstone with the climate. It signifies that we put ourselves in a tricky state of affairs, however this we knew earlier than. And it was even worse with the truth that the Saturday morning was with moist tyres. That for certain it was not useful, however we assumed the choice earlier than the weekend, and I believe it was the appropriate name to do it.”
It wasn’t that way back that Ferrari was seen as the principle menace to Pink Bull, requested if he nonetheless believes his staff can problem for the title, Vasseur admitted: “Actually, I am not centered. In the event you ask me what the classification is, I do know that we’re P2. However I do not find out about what number of factors we’re behind Pink Bull and what number of factors we’re forward of, I do not know who’s P3, it is McLaren most likely.
“It is not the subject of at present,” he insisted. “The subject of at present is to seek out efficiency, to come back again within the state of affairs of Monaco or Imola, and to have the ability to combat for pole place and the win. Then, the championship, we now have nonetheless 12 races to go or 13 races to go. It is virtually a championship. It signifies that we’ll have time to vary every part ten occasions.”
