They were already 100 pts behind in the constructors by that point and max had 60 pts lead in drivers iirc, plus they knew td039 was coming with the flexi-floor clampdown and more strict porpoising control. Ferrari probably knew that would upset their car already by France & would fall off in terms of performance to some extentFW17 wrote: ↑16 Feb 2023, 12:04The engine was an issue and they knew it, but I did not understand why they did not run full power the way Merc ran in 2021. The 5 place grid penalty would have been a gift rather than a 30 hp reduction.
Binotto throwing the towel after the French GP was certainly not the right way.
Monaco was absolutely criminal, it still hurts more than any other race I've experienced to this day. If Charles doesn't renew, I think that's the day that would've sealed it.Vanja #66 wrote: ↑16 Feb 2023, 11:51I can understand Binotto's approach to title fight and getting back to the top of the field, but there have been other things over the season that must have been handled better. TD039, team orders and strategy were bigger problems than engine. Maybe the engine wasn't capable of winning the championship, but poor strategies and handling the drivers lost 3-4 wins. Engine lost 2 more, Leclerc lost a win in France (reverse problems then lost any points sadly) and conservative rear wing choice lost them the Miami win. Imagine how much better the season would have been with at least Monaco and Hungary wins...
The key difference is that Merc's 2021 engine was absolutely bulletproof reliability wise and that's why they could afford to 'overclock' it the way they did with minimal risk, Ferrari's engine last year had awful reliability. The situations were not the same.FW17 wrote: ↑16 Feb 2023, 12:04The engine was an issue and they knew it, but I did not understand why they did not run full power the way Merc ran in 2021. The 5 place grid penalty would have been a gift rather than a 30 hp reduction.
Binotto throwing the towel after the French GP was certainly not the right way.
He was so reliable that he lost a lot of power due once he had a bit of mileage... It still better than a DNF but Hamilton would have won in Turkey for example without this penalty.wowgr8 wrote: ↑16 Feb 2023, 13:35The key difference is that Merc's 2021 engine was absolutely bulletproof reliability wise and that's why they could afford to 'overclock' it the way they did with minimal risk, Ferrari's engine last year had awful reliability. The situations were not the same.FW17 wrote: ↑16 Feb 2023, 12:04The engine was an issue and they knew it, but I did not understand why they did not run full power the way Merc ran in 2021. The 5 place grid penalty would have been a gift rather than a 30 hp reduction.
Binotto throwing the towel after the French GP was certainly not the right way.
Vasseur handwriting already recognizable
The 54-year-old Frenchman is currently settling in at Ferrari. The presentation of the SF-23 was the start of a long journey. After four weeks, the overview is already so large that the first structural changes have been made.
"I already have a pretty good idea of what makes this team tick. Everyone's DNA is the same. It has nothing to do with the size of the team. What differs from Sauber is the expectations." The learning process is not over yet. "In Bahrain I'll see how the team works on the track. I'll probably never stop learning."
Sounds like turbo issues aren't necessarily fixed yet.Runs are back to full power, however, some issues,which do not worry the technicians of the Italian team excessively but which will certainly be verified on the track, occurred at the turbocharger unit. “We are having some positive feedback on the dyno regarding some modifications produced, but as usual the track will tell us if we have done a good job.” Gualtieri made it known. The Italian team has already planned a season with the use of four units for the 23 races ,
I am not a ferrari fan, but I seem to feel a lot less negative than most fans about last year.Vanja #66 wrote: ↑16 Feb 2023, 11:51I can understand Binotto's approach to title fight and getting back to the top of the field, but there have been other things over the season that must have been handled better. TD039, team orders and strategy were bigger problems than engine. Maybe the engine wasn't capable of winning the championship, but poor strategies and handling the drivers lost 3-4 wins. Engine lost 2 more, Leclerc lost a win in France (reverse problems then lost any points sadly) and conservative rear wing choice lost them the Miami win. Imagine how much better the season would have been with at least Monaco and Hungary wins...
Of course, you can certainly see it that way. You're certainly right about Monaco and Hungary. However, I think that the "carte blanche" that the FIA created for itself ages ago regarding changes for safety reasons might have made any other approach look more advantageous, but in truth it would also have been just a charade, since there's nothing you can do here anyway. Once the FIA comes along with safety, there's nothing you can do. Also, you have to consider that Ferrari's "opponents" could have turned the tables and said that Ferrari is selfish and is willing to put the health and lives of the drivers at risk. There are enough similar examples. Therefore, I find Binotto's approach to TD39 understandable and not so wrong. Deficiencies, however, were indeed in the anticipation of the whole and the strategic foresight of this issue. A Ross Brawn or Jean Todt would have foreseen what was coming and acted accordingly. If that's what you mean, I totally agree. Regarding strategy, I think a team has to grow first, because when it comes to winning and fighting for the championship, it's a whole other thing. You also have to find out why these mistakes were made. I think Binotto did that, because in the last races of the season Ferrari had the better strategy than Mercedes and Red Bull. Without wanting to defend Binotto here - but I actually think he didn't do too much wrong, on the contrary. But the beginning of the 2023 season will show it, both in terms of technical approach and other things, because here in all areas Binotto's influence and decisions will be what is felt.Vanja #66 wrote: ↑16 Feb 2023, 11:51I can understand Binotto's approach to title fight and getting back to the top of the field, but there have been other things over the season that must have been handled better. TD039, team orders and strategy were bigger problems than engine. Maybe the engine wasn't capable of winning the championship, but poor strategies and handling the drivers lost 3-4 wins. Engine lost 2 more, Leclerc lost a win in France (reverse problems then lost any points sadly) and conservative rear wing choice lost them the Miami win. Imagine how much better the season would have been with at least Monaco and Hungary wins...