It was a pretty brutal day at the Formula One French Grand Prix for Scuderia Ferrari – and it’s one that might wind up costing them the Constructors’ Championship if the race comes down to the wire.
Saturday was a mixed bag for Ferrari as Charles Leclerc took his sixth pole of the season, while Carlos Sainz was ultimately relegated to 19th after exceeding their quota of power unit elements. But while Sainz would ultimately improve on his position, everything went wrong for Leclerc the next day.
On the 17th lap of the French Grand Prix, Leclerc spun out of control and into a wall. He had been having tire issues, and on a big turn the wheels gave out on him. Leclerc retired – marking the third time this season that he’s done so.
Ferrari managed to get some points out of the race though. Carlos Sainz battled from 19th all the way to fifth, securing the fastest lap in the process.
Formula One fans were gutted for Ferrari after their heartbreaking finish:
Up until Sunday, Ferrari had dominated the entire month of July. Carlos Sainz won his first pole and race of the year at the British Grand Prix, while Charles Leclerc ended his rough patch with a win at the Austrian Grand Prix the following week.
Their wins allowed Leclerc to significantly close the gap between him and Formula 1 Championship leader Max Verstappen, while Ferrari closed the gap on Red Bull in the Constructors Championship.
But today’s results have forced Ferrari into an 82-point deficit against Red Bull. Leclerc, meanwhile, is now 66 points behind Verstappen as a result of getting no points today.
Scuderia Ferrari have combined for four wins and 11 podiums this year. But their seven retires are the most in Formula One.
Can Ferrari rebound from today’s performance and win next week’s Hungarian Grand Prix?