Hamilton and Leclerc have the potential to win titles but Ferrari’s biggest problem is something else

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are currently third and fifth in the Drivers' Championship, while Ferrari sit behind Mercedes in the constructors' fight. Hamilton is level on points with George Russell and 59 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli, while Leclerc is a further 28 points back.

But the problem is not simply pace. Ferrari's biggest weakness may be their ability to turn that pace into maximum points when the opportunity presents itself - something boss Fred Vasseur has been trying to correct for some time.

The Dutch Grand Prix was the latest example. Hamilton finished fourth and Leclerc fifth, but both drivers left Zandvoort questioning Ferrari's execution. Hamilton was particularly frustrated after spending valuable time behind his teammate while running a different tyre strategy.

His argument was simple: Ferrari needed to react sooner, pointing out that his former team, Mercedes, were quick-thinking while he was left as the "guinea pig" while the team debated strategy. Hamilton believed the team could have moved Leclerc out of his way earlier, allowing him to exploit the advantage of his tyres and potentially challenge Russell for the final podium position.

Ferrari ultimately waited before bringing Leclerc in, costing Hamilton valuable time. It was exactly the kind of marginal decision that can decide a championship, and a moment of hesitation that has cost the Italian team in the past.

It would be easy to blame Zandvoort entirely on Ferrari's pit-wall decisions but that would miss the bigger picture.

Ferrari have actually shown encouraging signs with the SF-26. The team has pursued an aggressive development programme, with further work going into the chassis and aerodynamics alongside its power-unit development. Leclerc has also indicated that more updates are coming.

If the car were consistently half a second off the pace, strategy arguments would be largely irrelevant. But when Hamilton can finish less than a second behind Russell and believe a podium was available, every lost second becomes significant.

Ferrari are now at the stage where execution matters as much as outright performance and is one of the reasons why Vasseur was so keen to sign Hamilton - to help provide that killer instinct and know-how on how to win world championships.

There is also a difficult dynamic inside the Ferrari garage. Hamilton arrived at Ferrari with one objective: fight for the world championship.

Leclerc has spent years waiting for Ferrari to give him a car capable of doing the same. Neither driver is going to willingly accept being treated as a clear number two.

That makes team orders and strategic decisions particularly sensitive and could account for the deliberation in Zandvoort. But the reality is, Ferrari cannot allow that sensitivity to become indecision.

If one driver is clearly in a stronger position to score points during a race, the team has to make the call. Otherwise, Ferrari risks allowing its own drivers to become an obstacle to one another while Mercedes takes advantage.

Leclerc himself later questioned Ferrari's decision to pit him so close to Russell, admitting that he did not fully understand the call. When both drivers are questioning the same race management decision, the problem is difficult to dismiss as simply Hamilton being frustrated.

There is, however, reason for optimism. Hamilton remains firmly in the title conversation and has made it clear that he believes Ferrari can fight for the championship. Ferrari's recent development work has also helped establish the team as Mercedes' closest challenger rather than an occasional podium contender.

It is no longer: Can we build a car capable of fighting at the front? And they are getting closer to answering that one. The question is now: Can we execute like a championship-winning team?

That requires better communication between the pit wall and the drivers. Faster strategic decisions. Clearer team orders when circumstances demand them. And, perhaps most importantly, the ability to recognise when a potentially decisive opportunity is developing in front of them.

The timing could hardly be more interesting. Ferrari head to Monza with their two drivers still within striking distance of the championship lead, but with another reminder that performance alone will not be enough.

The Italian Grand Prix will put enormous pressure on the team as the spotlight put them into sharp focus for the Italian public, desperate to see a home victory.

There is also the added bonus of Antonelli expected to take a grid penalty for a new power unit but Ferrari need to have a clean weekend. The talent is already there. Now Ferrari need to prove that the execution is too