The former team principal of the Haas Formula 1 team, Guenther Steiner, has expressed his concern over Ferrari’s inability to acknowledge strategic errors, a fact he considers detrimental to the team’s on-track performance. In a recent appearance on the Red Flags Podcast, Steiner analyzed the decisions made during the chaotic Bahrain Grand Prix, highlighting that Ferrari’s decision to start on slick tires in wet conditions was a serious mistake.
This risky play caused drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to fall behind in the early laps. Despite the adversities, both drivers managed to recover and finished the race in third and fourth positions, respectively. Steiner pointed out that Ferrari’s lack of flexibility to switch to intermediate tires, unlike McLaren who acted quickly, reflects a resistance to admit mistakes.
“At McLaren, the philosophy is to quickly rectify if a bad decision has been made. In contrast, at Ferrari it seems that the priority is to prove that the decision made was the correct one, even when it is not,” Steiner commented. This attitude, he says, can become an obstacle that prevents the team from learning and improving.
Hamilton, who started the race from second position on the grid, displayed a mix of emotions after the race. While he expressed satisfaction at returning to the podium, he also reflected on what he might have achieved if he had started the race on intermediate tires.
According to Hamilton, “it’s a mixed emotion. I am grateful to return to the podium, but at the same time I felt discouraged when I saw the other drivers on suitable tires while we were venturing with slicks on the wet track.” He added that, despite initial doubts, he decided to move forward with the decision made and ended up achieving an unexpected result.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI