"Horrific" Ferrari not purely a power unit issue at Spa - Brawn
"Horrific" Ferrari not purely a power unit issue at Spa - Brawn
Formula 1 managing director motorsports Ross Brawn has suggested the cooler Belgian conditions may have played a role in Ferrari's "horrific" weekend.
One year on from a dominant lights-to-flag victory for Charles Leclerc, Ferrari started and finished the Belgian Grand Prix in 13th and 14th positions.
The team spent the race embarrassingly battling power unit customer teams Haas and Alfa Romeo and suffered further indignation by finishing behind the Alfa of Kimi Raikkonen.
Much has been made of the fact Ferrari entered into a secret arrangement with the FIA over the winter after the governing body failed to find conclusive proof of wrongdoing with the team's 2019 power unit.
But technical directives issued by the FIA regarding fuel flow and oil-burning late last season now appear to have hurt Ferrari immeasurably more than its rivals.
Brawn, however, believes the problems cannot be solely due to one single factor.
"Regardless of what people say about the deficit they may have with the engine following the technical clarifications, you don’t lose 1.3s per lap from one year to next in that metric alone," Brawn wrote in his post-race column.
"They just couldn’t get the tyres in the zone. The fact it was colder at Spa would not have helped either.
"When that happens, the performance drops off and looks horrific. If they can make that step and get the tyres working properly again, I think the performance will snap back in. They still won’t look race-winning, but it will become more respectable."
He added: "I’ve been in a situation like Ferrari have found themselves in at Spa, where you don’t get tyres to work, the temperature doesn’t come and the drop off in performance is dramatic."
McLaren driver Carlos Sainz, who is to join Ferrari next season, has expressed concern that the Scuderia will "need a very big step" with its power unit if he is to enjoy 2021.
Brawn feels the Spaniard may now start to be feeling anxious over his switch from McLaren.
"This has been a tough year for him, but he’s a pretty positive guy," added Brawn.
"He’s a very strong character, his career has been no easy ride after all. I’ve always rated him, I think he’s a great driver and he’ll manage this situation.
"But what looked like a dream move to Ferrari next year isn’t looking too good right now and inevitably, he must be nervous about his prospects next season."
Before you go...
Bottas: I'd rather stay at home than throw in the towel
"Suffering" Tifosi would not boo Ferrari at Monza if allowed in - Vettel
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
F1 fan celebrates Verstappen failure with OUTRAGEOUS permanent change
- 20 minutes ago
Wolff opens up on WHY Mercedes are 'very bad'
- 1 hour ago
F1 winner Sainz shares RAW images from surgery and recovery
- 2 hours ago
Hamilton and Cullen F1 fairytale COULD happen as clues reveal how
- 2 hours ago
F1 News Today: Vettel CONFIRMS stunning comeback as Red Bull boss issues Verstappen statement
- Today 05:57
Hamilton fired serious warning by Wolff as F1 star takes aim at controversial FIA decision - GPFans F1 Recap
- Yesterday 23:57
F1 Race Calendar
-
GP BAHRAIN
29 Feb - 2 Mar
Max Verstappen
-
GP SAUDI ARABIA
7 - 9 Mar
Max Verstappen
-
GP AUSTRALIA
22 - 24 Mar
Carlos Sainz
- GP JAPAN 5 - 7 Apr
- GP CHINA 19 - 21 Apr
- GP USA 3 - 6 May
- GP ITALY 17 - 19 May
- GP MONACO 24 - 26 May
Related news
F1 driver set to make STUNNING return to the grid
F1 pundit reveals the 'remarkable' driver top of team wishlists for 2025
Bearman reveals PAIN after first F1 experience
F1 veteran reveals driver that had a better debut than Bearman
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860