Charles Leclerc & Carlos Sainz Given Harsh Slap in the Face as F1 Champ Points Out Major Flaw in “Unique” Ferrari

For the most successful team in Formula 1, the trophy drought must hurt Ferrari. The Prancing Horse last won the constructors’ trophy back in 2008 while the drivers’ championship came a year before through Kimi Raikkonen. Now a former world champion has slammed the reds with a harsh reality check.

The 2022 F1 season started off well for Ferrari. The team registered two wins from the first three races through Charles Leclerc. At one point, the Monegasque was 46 points ahead of Max Verstappen. It looked like the Maranello-based team’s resurgence was on the cards. However, the plans fell prey to some flawed strategy calls and reliability issues.

Ferrari slammed for their lack of title-winning abilities

While Ferrari’s own faults are to be blamed for making a blunder out of a good start to the season, Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s brilliance is equally to be credited for. The Milton Keynes-based team regrouped to tackle the car’s weight issues and delivered a championship-winning RB-18. What happened since then was one of the most dominant displays F1 has ever witnessed.

Talking to Gazzetta dello Sport about his preference between the two, Nico Rosberg said, “If I were a driver and I could choose the team in which to race, I would go to Red Bull, to be on the safe side.”

“Or in Ferrari because I never had this opportunity during my F1 career and Ferrari will always have a unique charm and because it’s the historical red team. But I wouldn’t go there hoping to win the title.”

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While Charles Leclerc was in the lead in the drivers’ championship for a few races and ultimately finished runner-up, his teammate Carlos Sainz was never in the picture for the top spot. He rated the 2022 season among the most challenging.

Carlos Sainz looks back at the 2022 season with disappointment

Carlos Sainz fell prey to 6 DNFs throughout the season. The Spaniard in an unlucky stint endured multiple failures from the car and some crashes through no fault of his own. He also struggled to adapt to the car and could only manage a single win at the Silverstone.

Speaking with Formula 1, he said, “I had tougher and easier years, but never such a challenging year as 2022.”

“I found myself in a position where I was driving with this car, I was constantly off the pace in the first five, six races, and I had to fight a lot to change some things in my driving, some things on the car, try to get the car a bit closer to my liking.”

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After Mattia Binotto’s resignation, Ferrari are looking for a new team principal. Will a new boss change the fate of the Prancing Horse?