I have been a longtime sports fan, and this year might be the first time I have supported an unwinnable team. This season for the Scuderia Ferrari team has been a nightmare, as described by their drivers. It is hard to imagine myself saying these words, as back in February, I thought they had a shot at winning both the Drivers and Constructor championships. Their car from last year was one of the fastest on the grid. But I was proven wrong.
Reflecting on Scuderia Ferrari’s performance this season is one of the most painful experiences of my life. It might be the hardest thing I have experienced this year. This season has been rough for me and every Ferrari fan this year. If you had asked me in February how their performance this season was going to pan out, I would have said it would be great. I had high expectations for this team, but I was proven wrong by their incompetence and inability to take responsibility for their actions.
The Start of the Season
The lineup for Scuderia is one of the best on the F1 grid, to the point that everyone expected so much more than they have delivered. They have the seven-time world drivers champion, Lewis Hamilton, and the talented Charles Leclerc. The buildup to Lewis’s arrival in January had such an aura that I had to borrow my friend’s phone to watch all the videos, as I had deleted TikTok right after the ban. I was filled with so much hope. However, this hope suddenly crashed with the first race of the season in Australia.
Now
The performance of the Scuderia is so bad that only their drivers are making up for it. They might have seven podiums, but they are the only top team without a win this year. It is more feasible for the William team to get a double podium before them. They are currently running on hopes and dreams. The pride of the managing directors of the team is so immense that they are unwilling to accept any criticism from their drivers. The performance of SF 25 is so poor that the drivers cannot push, and they cannot run the car low without risking disqualification. In China, the second race of the season, both drivers got disqualified from the race because they had to run the car low. Every race weekend is filled with Lico here and Lico there to stop the car from falling apart. The other teams have a running joke about the amount of Lico the drivers must do. And instead of accepting any input from their drivers, the CEO of the team, after the team’s second double DNF of the season, came out and said the drivers should shut up and drive. In Singapore, the brakes in Lewis’s car came apart with three laps to go because he started pushing and moving faster than the car could handle.
It’s been a treacherous season, and there are still three more races to go. I do not think I can handle it anymore. There is too much incompetence within the team, as they want to uphold their traditions and honor as one of the oldest teams on the grid. Although they have addressed some of their issues from previous years, they can’t be considered competent, as their communication with drivers remains unsatisfactory. Upper management does not know how to accept criticism from its drivers and continues to blame them for issues beyond their control.
In conclusion, my expectations for Ferrari’s performance this season have plummeted to the point that I am happy if they finish a single race. One thing this season has taught me is to lower my expectations when it comes to them and pray for them.