Tim Coronel, a Dutch racing driver, slammed Ferrari for its recent mistakes in the Dutch GP. Ferrari messed up not one but both Carlos Sainz pitstops at Zandvoort. When he came into the pits the first time, the rear wheel was missing, so he had to be stationary for 12.7 seconds.
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto explained post-race that the call to pit the car was made at the last second, so the mechanics were not ready in time. Binotto also said that he is more worried about the pace difference between the F1-75 and RB18:
"It was a too late call so we had no time to react. I’m pretty sure we can improve in the future. I’m less concerned of that than the pace of the car."
Coronel did not accept the excuse given by the Italian boss. According to the Dutchman, mechanics should be ready and such mistakes are unacceptable at the highest levels of racing:
"But even then, the mechanics have to be ready. Even if it's a last minute call, you still need to know what margins you have? And then later there was also the unsafe release. We are working on Formula 1 here, not stirring in spaghetti pans. Come on!"
The problems for the Italian team did not end there. During Sainz's second pitstop, he was released into the path of Fernando Alonso. Sainz was penalized for an unsafe release and finished eighth in the end.
Charles Leclerc did redeem Ferrari in the end with a third-place podium finish. But the performance gap to RB18 was clearly on display. However, Coronel did praise the Monegasque driver on his hard fought podium:
"I think Leclerc and Ferrari really did their best. You could see that they could come along very well at the beginning. After that, they suffered too much from degradation of the tires. For the first half of the race, Leclerc was just second. Due to the relegation, he had to make a stop earlier and with the new tires he did not quite get out of it. But that third place was well deserved."
Ferrari looking to bounce back at the Italian GP
Ferrari are looking to close the gap on Red Bull at the Italian GP this weekend. The Italian team is on home soil and last won the event in 2019 with Charles Leclerc hoisting the trophy in front of Tifosi.
With Max Verstappen getting a grid penalty on account of taking on new engine parts, it is shaping up brilliantly for the Italian team to take the win in front of their home crowd.