Italian media ask for Ferrari changes: "Lack of technical leadership"

New season, old results. In Bahrain the Red Bull dominated, as they had done all last season. Aston Martin surprised, with Alonso finishing on the podium, and Mercedes were disappointed, but you knew how it would go. Less was known about Ferrari, who returned from Bahrain with an inexplicable retirement and a fourth place. GPblog has collected for you all the reactions of the Italian media to the first GP of the season.

The Gazzetta dello Sport

Giusto Ferronato acknowledged the overwhelming dominance of Red Bull. "All behind Red Bull and super Max Verstappen!" he said in the opening of his piece in today's Gazzetta. In Ferronato's own report cards, the 'unbridled' Verstappen received a 10, as does his team. "A number one start" for the Dutchman and "a first race [that] borders on perfection" for the Austrian team. High praise also for Alonso, "author of a masterpiece race" according to the Gazzetta journalist.

"There is a lot of work to do" for Ferrari on the other hand, although the two drivers of the Rossa deserve praise. "Carlos brings home a fourth place that does not uplift, but expresses all the commitment and a race of sacrifice," while Leclerc "is unlucky with reliability. He really gave everything." The problems lie on the team side, who score 5 from Ferronato.

Also in the Gazzetta dello Sport, Gianluca Gasparini's analysis of Ferrari's difficulties is very harsh. For Gasparini 'there is a lack of technical leadership' at Maranello and Charles Leclerc's statements at the end of the race can be interpreted as 'somewhere between a declaration of total surrender and a heartfelt plea for help'. According to the Gazzetta journalist, Ferrari needs 'a technical director capable of directing and elevating the project'. Someone like Newey, in other words.

Italian branch of Sky Sports

Sky Sport's F1 commentator, Carlo Vanzini, gives ample space to Alonso's performance in his commentary on the race. "It was a super Fernando Alonso. Age doesn't matter. A great for Aston Martin, that's all there is to say," wrote Vanzini, who also has good words for Red Bull.

On Ferrari, however, he said: "A Ferrari too ugly to be true and above all too indecipherable. For example in tyre management, with the problem in reverse compared to the tests...' But he remains confident, closing with a 'keep calm & keep pushing' for the prancing horse.

Leo Turrini's report cards award a 10 to Verstappen. "And who beats him?" is the comment on the performance of the Dutchman, who receives the same grade as Fernando Alonso. 7 for both Hamilton, who 'does what he can, with a frankly modest Mercedes', and Leclerc, who doesn't have to make a drama of it'. 6.5 instead for Sainz.

Tuttosport

For Tuttosport it is a 'Ferrari disaster', with Leclerc's retirement and Sainz's fourth place. 'For Ferrari, now, the obligation to turn the page immediately, as in just two weeks the Circus will be back on track in the Middle East'. If Verstappen 'dominates' like last season, Ferrari shows 'ancient vices and flaws that have never been resolved' according to Ottavio Daviddi.

"For Frederic Vasseur the honeymoon is over: for now he has fixed something on the strategy front and at Sakhir from this point of view everything went well," says the Tuttosport journalist. 'But what is still missing is reliability: perhaps at Sakhir it was not the engine that broke down, but the electronic control unit. But the outcome does not change, Leclerc had to retire and it is an icy shower for the whole environment."

"The risk is to face an uphill season," according to Daviddi, not least because another problem from the past persists: "For some years Ferrari have been wearing out their tyres more than their rivals. But it would also be difficult for a different Ferrari.

Corriere della Sera

Giorgio Terruzzi is also harsh on Ferrari in the Corriere della Sera. '"Work, work, work". The verb, uttered again yesterday by the Ferrari boys. On our morale, on the entire season." For Terruzzi, it is "a GP that worsens the outlook seen in the second half of last season, with already exhausted hopes for those waiting for a few comforting moments."

And to those who compare Ferrari's current situation with that of Red Bull 12 months ago, Terruzzi replied: 'The world champion Red Bull, in 2022, stopped after fighting the entire race with Ferrari. Nothing comparable'.

"Max seems to have announced that, while waiting for credible rivals, he will run the next races on Mars," joked Vanetti.

Autosprint

For Matteo Novembrini it was "all easy for Red Bull", while for Ferrari it was "a bitter day". According to the Autosprint journalist, at the moment "the problem is not the time [to catch up], but the gap: and this Red Bull seems to have too much of an advantage," thus making the comeback difficult for the other teams.

"If you think about it, there were few teams that were more than happy on the night in Manama: Red Bull, Aston Martin and even Alfa Romeo. Let's throw in Williams as well. For the others, primarily Ferrari and Mercedes, the mood was darker than the night of Sakhir," added Novembrini.