Hamilton, Leclerc and Vasseur at Monza @RacePictures

F1 icon slams Ferrari after Monza result, but rates drivers' performance

08:11, 14 Sep

Updated: 10:58, 14 Sep

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byTobia Elia

Giancarlo Minardi was critical of Ferrari following after the missed out on a podium at Monza.

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Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur at Monza @RacePictures

''They should stop making proclamations''

- Giancarlo Minardi

Minardi critical of Ferrari after poor result in Monza

The Italian manager summarized the Maranello team’s weekend last week as follows, speaking with motorsport.it: ''I give them just a passing grade because, even so, they should stop making proclamations when they know full well that, at this stage, their position is what the two drivers are struggling to achieve.''

''Also, if Hamilton hadn’t been penalized, he probably would have finished close to—or even ahead of—Charles Leclerc. So, I give Ferrari a six, but I give the two drivers an eight, because they really put in the effort to make up for the car’s shortcomings.''

''They pushed very hard—perhaps even excessively—on aerodynamics, something Red Bull managed to get right, so it’s clear that the problem is structural, with the car itself, and the two drivers did their job.''

When asked what should be Ferrari’s true goal for the rest of the season, Minardi replied: ''They should focus on maintaining and defending second place. They have a 20-point lead over Mercedes, which, despite everything, still keeps pace, so I believe they should concentrate solely on protecting second in the championship.''

''Any other statements or ambitions should, in my view, be set aside. I don’t think they can do anything different from the finishing positions in recent qualifying sessions. That is the position they are able to achieve thanks to drivers who, despite words, do not get demoralized and deliver results that are likely above what the car itself allows.''

''So, they should not be thinking about catching McLaren—or even Red Bull at this stage—but simply defending second place in the championship with the 20-point advantage they currently hold over Mercedes.''

Ferrari fails to get a podium in home race

Ferrari arrived at their home Grand Prix in Italy aiming to secure at least a podium—and, if possible, their first win of the season—on a circuit that should have suited the SF25.

However, neither Charles Leclerc nor Lewis Hamilton managed to reach the podium last Sunday, having to yield to Max Verstappen and the two McLarens.

On Saturday, controversy arose over Lewis Hamilton not providing a slipstream to his teammate to help him start higher in qualifying, given that the latter was set to serve a five-place grid penalty from Zandvoort.

With fourth and sixth place finishes at Monza, Ferrari remains second in the Constructors’ Championship, though Mercedes is still close behind, just 20 points off.