Italian media clamour for Newey's arrival after Ferrari decline

F1 News

Italian media crack down on Ferrari after Imola GP
20 May at 12:00
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  • Tim Kraaij

The Tifosi travelled to Imola with great confidence, but came home cold. Not only did Max Verstappen manage to win again, but Ferrari were also beaten by McLaren. As a result, the Italian media are cynical and screaming for the arrival of Adrian Newey.

Ferrari is still second in the constructors' standings, but if the Italian media are to be believed on the day after the race, it seems like everything is going wrong for the team. In Imola, it had to happen for Ferrari, in front of its own fans in a season where it is closer to Red Bull Racing than it has been in recent years.

However, despite a major update package, Ferrari failed to really get a shot at victory. Corriere della Sera is therefore cynical: 'Luckily there were the updates', according to the Italian magazine's website. The Scuderia gets a '6' for its performance in Imola. In particular, the fact that the updates, so long announced, were somewhat disappointing causes the cynicism.

However, it must be said that no one at Ferrari has ever expressed high expectations about the upcoming updates. Frederic Vasseur was therefore not worried after the race. The team is making steps forward and it will only become clear later how big a step Ferrari has taken. After all, the problem is that the competitors are not sitting still either.

Why Ferrari should appoint Newey immediately

La Gazzetta dello Sport, however, has seen enough. The pink sports newspaper from Italy argues that Ferrari cannot do without Newey and must bring in the former Red Bull Racing chief technical officer as soon as possible in order to be successful. According to the Italian newspaper, the current technical team would not have been able to compete with Red Bull Racing and McLaren.

Compliments do come for Max Verstappen in Italy. For instance, La Stampa makes comparisons with Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, two drivers whose records Verstappen managed to match last weekend with his umpteenth pole position in a row. Thus, it was his eighth pole position in a row and seven poles in a row from the start of the season. Corriere also praises Verstappen, considering the Dutchman faced humiliation, threats and intimidation this weekend.

McLaren does receive praise in Italy. Led by Italian team boss Andrea Stella, McLaren looks like a serious challenger to Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen with the new updates. Thus, the team and Lando Norris get a '10' from Corriere. Norris is seen the man who could potentially start breaking Verstappen's hegemony.