Debate | Ferrari must put world title race out of mind for now

Ferrari is in a difficult position after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Italian racing team hoped to compete for the world title for as long as possible, but the painful conclusion is that Charles Leclerc did not win since the race in Australia. For now, it is insufficient to make things really difficult for Max Verstappen.

It is the rule rather than the exception this season that Leclerc is the fastest of the session during free practice and qualifying. The Monegasque invariably shows with his Ferrari what he is capable of over one lap. In this he succeeded again in Baku, securing an excellent starting position.

Sunday's race, however, usually makes for a different story. Not only does the driver himself struggle to keep Verstappen behind him, but he often doesn't get in a position to battle it out. Instead, his team makes strategic mistakes or he has engine problems, as was the case in Baku.

Leclerc was left empty-handed afterwards, while Verstappen convincingly secured 25 points for his team. It thus strengthened its leading position in the world championship. The gap with Leclerc even increased to 34 points, so the Italians will want to take revenge soon.

Ferrari has a lot of work ahead of them

However, with all the problems within the formation, it seems first and foremost important for Ferrari to focus on itself. The good start of the season offers some support to return to, although the team will have to ask itself how it can do this. If it really wants to compete for the world championship a lot has to happen.