Can Ferrari return to winning ways in new-look car? Detailing their issues heading home and why team boss Mattia Binotto is still confident - with their pace on the track and decisions off it; Watch Italian GP all live on Sky Sports F1 this weekend
Thursday 8 September 2022 07:00, UK
Ferrari, and the Italian Grand Prix. There aren't many more legendary, more emotive combinations in Formula 1, and a few months ago it looked like this could be a homecoming to remember with a title on the line.
The Scuderia, though, are now heading home to Monza amid increased pressure and scrutiny - with their championship bid having seemingly dissipated into a battle for second with Mercedes, and their off-track operations even more concerning amid strategy blunder after blunder.
Ferrari need a boost at the Italian GP, where they will debut a new anniversary-inspired yellow look. What will really catch their adoring Tifosi's eye, is a competitive weekend, and some semblance of a fightback.
First, let's get this clear: Ferrari are in nowhere near as bad shape heading to Monza as they have been in recent years. In 2020, for example, Ferrari didn't even get a car into Q3 in qualifying, and finished with two DNFs. This season, they have one of the fastest cars on the grid after a spectacular turnaround following the 2022 rule changes.
That, though, is what has made their summer woes all the more frustrating. For the package they've delivered, and the performance their drivers are managing, Ferrari have fallen well short of expectations.
The problems have emerged both on and off the track.
After a championship-leading start to the season was followed up by unreliability and mistakes, Ferrari looked like they had unlocked their car's potential again in early July, with back-to-back wins at Silverstone and Spielberg bringing them back into the fight with Red Bull.
Since the Austrian GP, though, a Ferrari driver hasn't finished higher than third. In that period, the team have been outscored by 109 points to 73 by Mercedes, having enjoyed a huge pace buffer over them earlier in the year.
The struggles have mainly been on Sundays, with tyre temperatures and wear the main issues, leaving Leclerc - whose crash in France wrecked Ferrari's most recent chance to win - and Carlos Sainz unable to challenge Max Verstappen.
Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto will tell you this is Ferrari's main problem, and indeed it's a big one. What is more worrying, though, are their repeated failures when it comes to avoidable errors.
Leclerc is 109 points behind Verstappen in the title race but that margin could be wiped out completely, or at least significantly decreased, were it not for Ferrari's engine failures and strategy blunders - which have continued in both races after the summer break.
The mistakes for Sainz at last weekend's Dutch GP, where he had a 12s pit-stop and picked up a five-second unsafe release penalty, were arguably the most painful of the season, and prompted more calls for changes. Sky Sports F1's Nico Rosberg even said F2 and F3 teams had better strategy.
Binotto bit back at those remarks, and should be commended for repeatedly sticking up for his team.
That stance, though, has only increased scrutiny - and will continue to do so should even if the smallest of mistakes reoccur in the future.
They simply need an error-free home weekend.
In spite of their recent woes, there will be a competitive Ferrari fighting towards the front this year, and the atmosphere should be wild if previous events, such as Leclerc's 2019 victory, are anything to go by.
"This year we are lucky we have a competitive car and we can have a competitive Ferrari in Monza," said Sainz. "Already last year was super exciting and it was one of the best weekends of the year for sure.
Leclerc added on 2019: "It was incredible. Whenever we arrive in Monza there is so much support, and it really is special."
On paper, though, this is not Ferrari's ideal track to take the fight to Red Bull.
Red Bull have had immense straight-line speed compared to Ferrari in recent months, with Verstappen comfortably winning from 14th at the Belgian GP two weeks ago, and Monza's Temple of Speed features long straights, and only 11 corners.
"It is certainly a difficult moment right now and for our team because we are not getting the results with the expectations that we have got," Binotto conceded after the Dutch GP.
"We need to react and Monza, we will have the Tifosi there and to have them in the grandstands will be important for us as they cheer for us and boost us as a team. Right now, we need to find some good results for the spirit and the mood."
Ferrari should still be in the fight - they were within a tenth of pole in Zandvoort - although with a 135-point deficit to Red Bull ahead and just a 30-point gap to a resurgent Mercedes behind, it may be time to lower expectations and focus on salvaging a successful season.
Not that Binotto feels that way, yet.
"I think it is now three races in a row that we are not at what should be our potential," he said. "This is something we need to address as soon as possible.
"We are still looking for victories and our intention is to win at every single race, including Monza."
Thursday, September 8
2pm: Drivers' Press Conference
Friday, September 9
8.15am: F3 Practice
9.25am: F2 Practice
12.30pm: Italian GP Practice One (session starts at 1pm)
2.25pm: F3 Qualifying
3.45pm: Italian GP Practice Two (session starts at 4pm)
5.25pm: F2 Qualifying
6.10pm: The F1 Show
Saturday, September 10
9.30am: F3 Sprint Race
11.45am: Italian GP Practice Three (session starts at 12pm)
2pm: Italian GP Qualifying Build-up
3pm: ITALIAN GP QUALIFYING
4.55pm: F2 Sprint Race
6pm: Ted's Quali Notebook
Sunday, September 11
7.30am: F3 Feature Race
9.00am: F2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Dutch GP Build-up
2pm: THE ITALIAN GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: Italian GP Reaction
5pm: Ted's Notebook
6pm: Italian GP Highlights
