Italian media hard on Ferrari: 'Verstappen can stay away for three races'

Ferrari started the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend as the high favourites, but failed to secure pole position. The team had to leave that to George Russell, but it looked for a long time as if Ferrari had the pace to take the race. Yet, as so often, the Italian team lost out. The Italian media are not satisfied with the team's performance and leave no stone unturned.

La Gazzetta dello Sport

La Gazzetta dello Sport speaks of 'yet another own goal by Ferrari'. After the questionable choices at Monaco and Silverstone, the newspaper says for the third time this season there is more reason to discuss poor strategies than driver errors or reliability problems. "Formula 1 is going on holiday and with it Ferrari's hopes for the world championship," the text continues somewhat cynically.

Because how can you still talk about title chances when Charles Leclerc' s gap to Max Verstappen has increased to eighty points with nine races to go? "Max can stay away from the next three races in Belgium, The Netherlands and Monza and return in Singapore with the mathematical certainty that he is still leading the standings."

Corriere dello Sport

Corriere dello Sport also has no good word to say about the Italian racing team and emphasises the almost impossible gap that Leclerc now has to bridge to Verstappen. "The Monegasque is eighty points behind Verstappen, a gap that has never been bridged by a driver in the history of Formula 1," the newspaper writes. "For Charles Leclerc, the dream of a world championship is almost over. Only arithmetic keeps the Ferrari driver afloat, who now only has to win all the remaining races of this season and hope."

Corriere della Sera

Corriere della Sera finds it commendable that Mattia Binotto continues to stand behind his team and defend Ferrari's strategists, but the Italian medium believes the team boss must start to see that something is not working in that department. "Binotto needs to start making changes on the pit wall," states the publication, which believes the team boss should dare to take a little more risk. Corriere calls Binotto a "good person" and likes the fact that he is not quick to point a finger, but stresses that it is time to take action.