“What is Going on at Ferrari”: Ex-Boss Attacks Frederic Vasseur & Co. after Massive Brazilian GP Fiasco

The 2023 Sao Paulo Grand Prix was a Max Verstappen and Lando Norris masterclass, but it was a completely different story for Ferrari! A formidable force just last weekend at the Mexican GP qualifying, the Scarlet team was anything but put together at the Brazilian GP. Although Charles Leclerc qualified on the front row for Sunday’s race, ahead of teammate Sainz in 8th, his race would meet an untimely end before it had even started.

It looked like the Mexican GP bug had bitten them again, only this time Leclerc would not have the satisfaction of completing a single lap on the circuit, let alone finishing on the podium. Unfortunately for the Maranello outfit, Carlos Sainz did not have much luck either, facing issues with the clutch early on. The Tifosi were left wondering what the problem at hand was, but they were not the only ones!

Peter Windsor and the Tifosi are left baffled by Ferrari after ‘mechanical dramas’ at the Brazilian GP

Former Ferrari technical manager, Peter Windsor, was left baffled by Ferrari’s failures on Sunday even though they were brilliant on Saturday. It’s not like it was the drivers! After all, they had just locked out the front row in Mexico. The ex-boss had a few concerns about the Maranello outfit’s lack of consistency in his Brazilian GP race analysis video.

Not only had Charles Leclerc fallen victim to a hydraulic malfunction that sent him into the barriers in the formation lap, but Carlos Sainz had been vocal about the clutch being problematic ever since the race began. Windsor was left stunned by what was going on, “Might as well say it now, Carlos Sainz’s race was plagued with mechanical dramas as well, (with the) Gear selection and clutch. Interesting that overnight Ferrari changed the clutch shims on both cars because Ferrari has been, as I keep saying, usually made very good starts. They seem to have gone off the boil, and after the first start today, Carlos was on the radio saying get rid of these clutches when we get back to Maranello – there is obviously something wrong there.”

While the Brazilian GP saw heroics from Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso giving it their all, the Ferrari duo could not even if they wanted to, be limited by their SF23s. Although Leclerc is the usual victim of these failures, Carlos Sainz could not escape either. The probability for both Ferraris to suffer from mechanical failures raised questions in Windsor’s mind about what was unfolding behind the scenes.

READ MORE: “It’s a Shame”: Lando Norris Spares a Thought for Charles Leclerc’s Misery Only to Mock Him Moments Later

He added, “And then in the race Carlos’ performance was affected by downshift on the downshift paddles. So hydraulics, transmission problems, clutch problems, what is going on at Ferrari?” – the Scuderia’s Brazilian GP blunder has left everyone equally confused as to what the future holds for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz with the Maranello outfit.

Can Ferrari stop McLaren’s charge next year?

Although Ferrari is trailing Mercedes in the standings, the Maranello outfit’s third spot in the standings might come into jeopardy in 2024 from McLaren. The Woking-based outfit has succeeded when it matters the most, continuing the upward momentum they had gained after the Dutch GP. It’s safe to say that the Scuderia is in a race against time to figure out what keeps going wrong.

“Ferrari used to miss some of these races because of the strike in Italy in August having their ongoing effects and parts not being available, I’m sure it’s not bad these days but it does seem odd that there’s so much unreliability at Ferrari.” – Peter Windsor reflected on external factors influencing Ferrari’s performance earlier in history, but that should not be the case in modern times. The repeated failures point toward woeful management, which may have cost Charles Leclerc the most through his years of struggles with Ferrari.

To make things worse for the Scuderia, Aston Martin is not far off from Mclaren in the standings. Fernando Alonso is also ahead of the Ferrari duo in the driver’s championship, followed closely by Lando Norris. It’s safe to say that if Ferrari keeps this up, their drivers will be sitting ducks to other teams that are more consistent.

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Being a Ferrari fan has come at an immense cost in recent years, and with tragedy striking at every turn, the mood is all over the place within the Scarlet Garage. Will Frederic Vasseur and Co. find the culprit behind their inconsistency, or will their reliability issues continue to haunt them in 2024?