A Weekend to Forget for the Scuderia
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur didn’t mince words when reflecting on the team’s performance at the Canadian Grand Prix, calling it a “huge failure.” From the opening practice sessions in Montreal, the weekend took a wrong turn for the Italian outfit. Despite Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finishing fifth and sixth respectively, aided in part by a late-race crash involving the McLaren drivers, Ferrari fell well short of expectations.
Struggles on and off the Track
Ferrari was unable to match the pace of rivals Mercedes, Red Bull, or McLaren, and the gap wasn’t just down to pure car performance. Persistent mistakes throughout the weekend prevented the team from competing for podium positions. Trouble began early with Leclerc crashing during the first free practice, which forced him to miss the second session on Friday.
Strategic missteps off the track added to the team’s woes. Ferrari opted for soft tires during qualifying, while most competitors went with the more balanced medium compound. The questionable tire choice limited their grid position. During the race, confusion continued as Leclerc and the team engaged in radio discussions about which strategy to follow, indicating a lack of clarity on race day decision-making.
Unexpected Incidents and Mounting Pressure
The troubles didn’t end with Leclerc. Hamilton also experienced a bizarre setback when he struck a small animal—reportedly a groundhog—during the Sunday race, causing damage to his car. Vasseur summed up the weekend bluntly: “We made too many mistakes as a team—starting with the crash in FP1, followed by the qualifying error, and then the groundhog incident during the race.”
Lessons from Mercedes’ Rebound
Vasseur also acknowledged the unpredictable nature of competition in Formula 1. “The fight is extremely tight. I’m not just talking about lap times—positions can swing dramatically from one weekend to the next,” he said. He pointed to Mercedes as a positive example. After underwhelming performances in the previous three races, the team rebounded in Montreal with both cars reaching the podium. “I don’t think they overhauled the car. They simply got everything right from the first session on Friday. It shows the importance of strong preparation,” he added.
Red Bull’s Protest Sparks Controversy
Meanwhile, the post-race atmosphere was further clouded by Red Bull’s decision to protest the result, a move that drew sharp criticism from several corners of the paddock. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff condemned the protest as “petty” and “embarrassing.” Red Bull argued that George Russell drove “erratically” behind the safety car and that his hard braking was “unsportsmanlike.” The stewards ultimately dismissed both claims.
What fueled further outrage was the five-and-a-half-hour delay by the FIA in confirming Russell’s win, long after the podium celebrations had concluded and even after Max Verstappen had left Canada’s airspace. The delay, not the protest itself, became the focal point of frustration for fans and media, raising concerns about how race result disputes are handled.
Calls for Procedural Reform in F1
Wolff expressed his discontent to Sky Sports during the premiere of F1: The Movie in New York: “The race ended two hours before they filed the protest. That’s on them. It was so petty, so embarrassing. They come up with bizarre so-called clauses. I think the FIA has to look into this, because it was so far-fetched that it got dismissed outright.”
