Ferrari: Different strategy may not have won race
Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene thinks it 'nonsense' for anyone to suggest that Sebastian Vettel would definitely have won the Australian Grand Prix on a different tyre strategy.
Vettel was leading the race early on when the red flag was brought out to allow marshals to clear up the debris left over from the Fernando Alonso and Esteban Gutierrez crash.
At the restart, Vettel elected to stick with the same supersoft tyres he had been running before, while Nico Rosberg behind swapped to brand new medium tyres.
Vettel was unable to build up much of a margin at the restart and, after needing to stop again for a switch to soft tyres, he did not have enough pace to recover and get back past Mercedes. In the end he finished third.
Although Vettel admitted that the strategy was wrong with hindsight, Arrivabene thinks that only a detailed investigation will show whether the team could have actually ended up with a better result.
When asked by Motorsport.com if he believed Ferrari would have won if it had switched to medium tyres at the restart, Arrivabene said: "I can't say so really.
"We need to look at the data in the garage, because every car has different consumption, different degradation, to be certain if we were right.
"To be certain if we were wrong, is a nonsense. We need to look at the data on the car and then collect it."
Confidence
Arrivabene said that Ferrari's form in the early stages of the race – when Vettel led comfortably from Kimi Raikkonen – had left the team feeling upbeat about its chances of victory in the season opener.
"On the wall we were confident, in all honesty," he said. "We looked at the gap and we were gaining and, at that time, the radio was to go with our strategy and to keep going.
"Then, I don't want to take any excuses. The red flag – the last one was in 2009 if I am not wrong, but it is part of the race so you have to accept it and that is it."
Reflecting more on the strategy call, Arrivabene said: "At that stage of the race we have to be a bit more aggressive. It could be right, could be wrong.
"Sebastian was talking about that. In the end we were pushing like hell and Sebastian also had the chance to be able to overtake [Lewis] Hamilton, which was in our strategy.
"If you want to look at the glass not half empty – we were there. But this is the news. Of course after that, you cannot be happy but this is racing."
Previous article
Radio clampdown made no difference - Hamilton
Next article
Australian GP: Post-race press conference
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Event | Australian GP |
| Location | Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit |
| Teams | Ferrari |
| Author | Jonathan Noble |
How Do Drivers Stay Fit For F1 Grand Prix?
Ronnie Peterson and Jochen Rindt Tribute
#ThinkingForward with Juan Pablo Montoya
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says Nigel Roebuck.
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Is Formula 1 as good as it has ever been now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
How Williams’ new structure adheres to a growing F1 trend
Williams held out against the tide for many years but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, the age of the owner-manager is long gone
When a journeyman driver's F1 career lasted just 800m
Nikita Mazepin’s Formula 1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix lasted mere corners before he wiped himself out in a shunt, but his financial backing affords him a full season. Back in 1993 though, Marco Apicella was an F1 driver for just 800m before a first corner fracas ended his career. Here’s the story of his very short time at motorsport’s pinnacle.
How Raikkonen's rapid rise stalled his teammate's F1 career climb
Kimi Raikkonen's emergence as a Formula 1 star in his rookie campaign remains one of the legendary storylines from 2001, but his exploits had an unwanted impact on his Sauber teammate's own prospects. Twenty years on from his first F1 podium at the Brazilian GP, here's how Nick Heidfeld's career was chilled by the Iceman.
The nightmare timing that now hinders Mercedes
Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton took victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix despite, for a change, not having the quickest car. But any hopes of developing its W12 to surpass Red Bull's RB16B in terms of outright speed could not have come at a worse time.
How Verstappen's Bahrain mistake can only make him stronger
Max Verstappen lost out to Lewis Hamilton at the Bahrain Grand Prix by a tiny margin, slipping off the track just as victory was within his grasp. But the painful lesson from defeat can only help Verstappen come back even stronger
