The last three grand prix races have been a rollercoaster ride filled with highs and lows for the Tifosi. Hopes were high for the team in red after Carlos Sainz lit up the street of Marina Bay earlier after a strategic masterclass. Unfortunately for Ferrari, things have gotten rough once again! The Spanish driver’s SF-23 was diagnosed with a fuel issue hours before the Qatar GP, leading to a disappointing weekend for Sainz.

It wasn’t looking any better when the squad rolled up to Austin, that is until Charles Leclerc scored a crucial pole position on Saturday, which was snatched away by a disqualification post-race. But when things are going wrong, they don’t seem to go easy on the boys in red.

Ferrari Boss demands more from the Maranello outfit after Charles Leclerc’s disqualification

The Monegasque would fall victim to strategy calls yet again when the team’s decision to go with a one-stopper resulted in Leclerc finishing the race down in sixth, invalidating his efforts on Saturday completely. You’d think it could not have gone worse for the Monegasque, but that’s when the FIA delivered the final blow. And the Ferrari driver’s misery did not stop there, as he and Sainz have both come under fire from the top brass at Maranello!

Charles Leclerc was disqualified for the wear on his floor plank alongside Lewis Hamilton at the US GP. While Sainz may have made a lucky escape from the FIA’s spot check, Ferrari’s boss, Fred Vasseur, took a more critical approach to the weekend’s events.

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Vasseur was quoted by GP Fans, as saying, “We left Austin with a different result to the finishing order past the flag, which promoted Carlos to a place on the podium, actually well deserved given how he managed his race,” but the disqualifications meant that Carlos Sainz would take the third step on the podium, allowing the Tifosi some consolation.

When asked about the prospects of the Mexican GP, he added, “However, in Mexico I want to see a more focused team, as we cannot afford to get things wrong in how we assess the race evolution, as was the case in Austin.”

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This rings especially true because the Mexican GP weekend will be an opportunity for ample testing and practice, compared to Austin. During the sprint weekend, the teams are limited to only one practice session, significantly impacting the optimization of the set-up.

The Scuderia ‘must be able to grab any opportunities’ if they want to best Mercedes

Ferrari is looking to maximize their outing in Mexico, “With this event running to the traditional weekend timetable, we will be able to carry out all the necessary evaluation work over the three free practice sessions,” stated the Frenchman. Speaking on Sainz’s podium, Vasseur shared, “It has also allowed us to claw back some points in our pursuit of second place in the Constructors’ classification.” The Maranello outfit is hoping to bury their troubles from the last two races in the past and score big points this weekend, it will be crucial in their fight against Mercedes for second in the constructor’s standings.

While both teams were disqualified from the US GP, there was one that stood above the other throughout the weekend. With a newly redesigned floor, the Mercedes W14 was outright faster than the Ferrari. Hamilton finished second behind Verstappen, a repeat from the sprint race.

It will therefore be crucial for the boys in red to outscore the Mercedes duo, “I believe we will come up with targeted strategies that will allow us to do our best in what, on paper, can be quite a complicated race. All of us, Carlos and Charles included, must be able to grab any opportunities that come our way.”

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With the battle for second heating up, Fred Vasseur is expecting the Ferrari boys to pull their socks up! This is a little ironic though. Given that the reason Leclerc was disqualified from the US GP, was Ferrari’s set-up blunder. Will his call for focus be heard by Leclerc and Sainz, or will the Mercedes men outshine the Maranello outfit? Only time will tell. Stay tuned for more!