Leclerc podium can’t hide Ferrari’s major problems

Charles Leclerc was as surprised as anyone to finish second, but that excellent result couldn’t disguise Ferrari’s woeful lack of pace. Team principal Mattia Binotto candidly explained the SF1000’S aerodynamics were too “fragile” (meaning inconsistent) and poorly correlated when tested in Spain earlier this year, and that major revisions are needed which won’t be ready until the third race of the season in Hungary.

The Ferrari was so bad over a single lap that Vettel failed to escape Q2 on merit, though he at least claimed a point for tenth in the race, thanks to an unusually high rate of attrition helping him recover from another costly spin after a clumsy lunge on Carlos Sainz at Turn 3.

Leclerc only just made Q3 himself, then qualified a full second from pole, only seventh fastest and behind a Mclaren and a Racing Point. For Ferrari to have only the fifth fastest car here after claiming pole in 2019 was shocking. Binotto reckoned 0.3s

of the deficit was in cornering; 0.7s from the engine.

The race was much better, at least for Leclerc, thanks to the misfortune that befell the Red Bulls plus the Ferrari coming alive on medium compound rubber as the fuel burned off. Leclerc passed Norris and Pérez to finish third on the road after Albon rotated, which became second when Hamilton was penalised – an unthinkable result before the start.

At last year’s Austrian GP, five of the ten available Q3 spots were filled by Ferrari-engined cars; this year only Leclerc’s Ferrari made it, while the customer teams filled four of the bottom six places in Q1…