Another weekend, another struggle for Ferrari as Charles Leclerc scored the only points in P7 at the Eifel Grand Prix.
After qualifying, it appears as though the Scuderia was starting to make progress when the Monegasque qualified fourth, even beating Alex Albon’s Red Bull.
But in the race, Leclerc quickly became a mobile chicane as Daniel Ricciardo needed nine laps to find his way by.
“On the softs, we struggled which massively compromised our race,” Charles admitted, “then we went for a two-stop strategy which I think was the right thing to do.”
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After his second stop, Leclerc found himself back up in sixth as he was one of only a few drivers not to stop for the soft rubber, later citing the “disaster” first stint as the reason for doing so.
But while Pierre Gasly was able to get ahead, that would be the only position he lost in the run to the finish, holding off Nico Hulkenberg in the closing laps.
“It was very tricky towards the end because, with the Safety Car, obviously I had old tyres to start again and they were very cold, but I think we managed pretty well,” Leclerc added.
“Some good overtaking which were fun but seventh is the best we could do today.”
As for Sebastian Vettel, the four-time world champion in his last home race for Ferrari rued a struggle to make progress as he just missed out on points in P11.
“Yeah, I did,” he said on if he expected more. “I think the start was actually okay, the start lap with the medium tyres compared to the others. We lost a position again to one of the Alfa’s and we got stuck.
“[It was] very difficult to pass and very difficult to follow and I tried to take a lot of risks, probably too much risk so after that, it was difficult to come back.”
Indeed, it was behind that Alfa of Antonio Giovinazzi that Vettel suffered a half-spin approaching Turn 1, which ruined his tyres and negated any advantage he would have got from starting on the middle compound.
“I was only really gaining in the very last part of the straight,” Seb explained, “so I think when I was crossing behind him, I lost the car in the wake. I need to have a look again but probably it was too much risk at the time.”
A decision to pit under the Safety Car also backfired, as the German dropped outside the points.
“With the Safety Car, there was a chance for points, but it didn’t happen,” he conceded.
“I think we were a little bit faster than where we were, but it was very tricky. So not the first race where we get stuck. Shame that we didn’t take any points away.”