“Unnecessary Stroke of Genius”: Former Mercedes VP Decodes Ferrari’s Ever-Rising Mistakes Including Monaco Giveaway

The strategy blunder by Ferrari was the talking point after the Monaco Grand Prix. While Carlos Sainz enjoyed his place on the podium, Charles Leclerc was left wondering on what would have been a redemption story in his hometown.

The Monegasque started on wet tires. Once Sergio Perez pitted for the intermediate tires, Ferrari soon called Leclerc in to do the same. However, he lost his lead on the Red Bull driver, which ultimately costed him the race.

At the same time, his chances of getting on the podium were high. As the track started drying out, the Italian team double-stacked Leclerc and Sainz for slick tires. And this turned out another failure, as the Monegasque lost time in the pits and had a terrible out lap behind the backmarkers. As a result, Verstappen overtook him and Leclerc finished only P4.

Many, including former Mercedes vice-president Norbert Haug, criticized Ferrari’s decision on an evening when they needed to beat Red Bull.

Former Mercedes Vice President criticizes the Prancing Horse

In the wake of Ferrari’s botched strategy call in the Principality, Norbert Haug revealed he was unimpressed and could not comprehend how the Reds missed their opportunity.

He said, “What Ferrari did in Monaco on Sunday will certainly not go down in motorsport history as a great strategy tactic, but rather as an unnecessary stroke of genius, as they manufactured it themselves.”

“From the outside, it seems that there is so much internal pressure on Ferrari that they want to make very good decisions and perfectly normal decisions would be the best option.” (Quotes translated using Google translate)

READ MORE: Breaking Down Ferrari’s Costly Strategic Meltdown at the Monaco GP

While Leclerc was punished for Ferrari’s blunder, Carlos Sainz took it upon himself to decide the strategy. As he stayed out when many, including his teammate, changed to intermediate tires, the Spaniard ultimately maintained his position. He could have even won the race if Nicholas Latifi did not hold him up after his pit stop.

Are strategy blunders a Ferrari trademark?

This is, of course, not the first time Ferrari has failed in terms of strategy. Well, Sebastian Vettel probably knows it more than anyone. But, in a venue like Monaco, where the strategy calls are crucial, the Prancing Horse once again came out second.

Haug, however, believes these poor decisions could forever be etched in Ferrari’s history. “Unfortunately, it is part of Ferrari’s history that such mistakes occur from time to time and torpedo otherwise brilliant performances. In the next race, this pressure will not diminish,” he added.

WATCH THIS STORY: Ferrari Strategy Fails We Will Never Forget

The gap between Ferrari and Red Bull has increased to 36 points. Verstappen also has a slight advantage over Leclerc in the driver’s standings as F1 heads to Azerbaijan. Can Ferrari bounce back after a dismal race in Monaco? We will have to wait and watch.