F1 GP Turkey, because the Ferrari strategy with Charles Leclerc did not work

In Formula 1 the dividing line between strokes of genius and mistakes is thin and often blurred. Thus, for example, in the last laps of the last Russian GP, ​​Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc – and, with them, also their respective walls – attempted a gamble that suddenly turned into a flop. But what would have happened if, instead of intensifying, the rain of the frenetic final in Sochi had stopped, opening the way for all those who had looked for the wild card in the pack, remaining on the track with dry tires? A situation that was repeated in Istanbul in the Turkish GP, with Ferrari strategists and the Monte Carlo driver still protagonists. This time, however, it was not a game of chance but a well-studied and perfectly applied tactic: an attempt that obviously did not work, but which allowed the Scuderia to cherish the dream of victory. Let’s analyze why the Ferrari strategy was really the only possible choice for the men of Maranello.

ferrari sf21, the surprise of istanbul

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Before concretely evaluating Leclerc’s strategy, a small step back is needed. As early as Friday’s free practice, the Ferrari SF21 had in fact shown itself to be surprisingly competitive in the curves of the Istanbul circuit, also confirming itself in the precarious conditions of Saturday. Despite the decision to adopt a lighter aerodynamic configuration – perhaps thinking about a dry Sunday? – throughout the first part of the race the Monegasque managed to stay in the wake of Verstappen’s Red Bull and Bottas’ Mercedes. The new hybrid system that made its debut in Russia works well and, beyond the marginal gain in terms of horsepower, offers Ferrari drivers more options for handling the vehicle. Let’s talk about temperatures and mappings and, consequently, also about performance. The fact that Leclerc was so fast, however, should not deceive: with an “ordinary” race tactic, to mark the stops of the Mercedes of the leader and of the two Red Bull home drivers, third place would have been the best possible result. Unrealistic to think of an attack by Charles at the end with the same fresh intermediate tires, but the risk of being ousted from the podium, perhaps by Hamilton if he managed to get rid of Perez, should not be excluded.

ferrari, because it was right to take risks

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But regardless of the real (in any case high) chances of closing behind Bottas and Verstappen, it would certainly not have been the possibility of uncorking the champagne for the fifth time to upset the evaluation of the Ferrari vintage. The red has in fact come from a couple of seasons in which aiming for victory was almost unthinkable, at least in “normal” races. The fight for third Constructors place remains a tangible goal for 2021, but it is not in line with the Prancing Horse’s blazon and future ambitions. And, in any case, the impression is that the substance would change very little even if Leclerc and Sainz were to remain fourth in the World Cup. Quite different speech, if only for the statistics (which date the last success to 22 September 2019, in the Singapore GP won by Vettel) and for the morale, if it were instead possible to break the fast of first places. And what better opportunity than that offered by the renewed competitiveness of the SF21 in Istanbul – moreover, even the tremendous SF1000 here had performed well – and the uncertain weather conditions to try and aim for the big target?

the tactical choice of leclerc

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This is why, when Verstappen and Bottas (respectively on laps 36 and 37 of the 58 planned) returned to the pits to mount a new intermediate Pirelli train, the idea of ​​taking risks flashed into the minds of the men at the Ferrari wall. However, not a simple gamble, but a well-considered evaluation: not only did Charles have a good advantage over fourth place, but the track continued to dry lap after lap. So, at that moment, the real goal was probably to switch to slick tires within about ten laps, while taking advantage of a grooved compound that the wear of the tread had made particularly performing. In hindsight, a mistake, given that the cold and the late rain made the game of those who had stopped in the pits, but in any case a choice that gave Leclerc a real chance to win the Turkish GP. A mistake that the Ferrari wall had also remedied, recalling Charles on lap 47 to save the third step of the podium: the Monegasque had in fact returned to the track in front of Perez (but behind Hamilton, who would have stopped three laps later) in proof of the fact that a dozen laps with fresh tires were not enough for the Mexican to close the gap and make a difference. The coup de grace was paradoxically given by the carved tread of the new tire, which struggled to get up to temperature and to respond to the pace of those who, stopping a quarter of an hour earlier, had already made the intermediate Pirellis semi-slick .