Is Ferrari's 'Clumsy' Canadian GP a Sign of a Failing Season?

New Delhi, June 19 (NationPress) Nico Rosberg did not hold back in his assessment of Ferrari's challenging Canadian Grand Prix, describing it as a 'clumsy weekend' that epitomizes the Scuderia's lackluster season to date. During his appearance on The F1 Show, the 2016 World Champion analyzed a series of blunders—from flawed strategy decisions to missed chances—that resulted in Ferrari slipping to third place in the Constructors' standings, overtaken by a revitalized Mercedes.

“It was indeed a rather clumsy weekend for Ferrari,” Rosberg remarked. “They demonstrated strong pace at times—Charles [Leclerc] was fast in qualifying and managed to keep up with the McLarens during the race—but their tyre strategy fell short, and they failed to leverage the opportunities that presented themselves.”

Rosberg highlighted Ferrari's choice to avoid a one-stop strategy with Leclerc, even when a clear opportunity was available. Instead, they chose to pit him early, placing him in traffic and compromising his race. The team's decision to bring in Lewis Hamilton at a poorly timed moment also resulted in lost track position.

Leclerc's weekend began poorly after crashing in FP1 and missing FP2, and although he showed impressive speed in qualifying, a mistake on his final Q3 lap prevented him from achieving a top-three start. Hamilton's race was further hindered when his car collided with a groundhog on Lap 13, causing damage that impacted his performance.

Ferrari ultimately finished fifth and sixth, while Mercedes claimed a strong one-three result, surpassing the Italian team in the standings. This pattern continues for Ferrari—fast at times, but struggling to maintain consistency throughout the weekend.

Team principal Frederic Vasseur, facing mounting media scrutiny, acknowledged the team's shortcomings: “We collectively made too many mistakes… from the crash in FP1 to the qualifying error and even the groundhog incident in the race. In such a tight competition, even minor mistakes can have major consequences.”

Regarding the decision not to risk a one-stop strategy with Leclerc, Vasseur admitted that Ferrari missed a low-risk opportunity: “Charles was correct—we had little to lose. However, we did not have enough data to be confident the hard tyre would endure for 50 laps.”

Vasseur commended Mercedes' revival in Montreal, using it as a benchmark: “They struggled for three races but suddenly placed two cars on the podium. It’s all about preparation and execution from Friday morning, and they nailed it. We did not.”