HOCKENHEIM, GERMANY: Ferrari head into Formula One’s annual break facing a tall order to turn things around in time for the second half of a season that promised much but has so far delivered little.
Formula One’s most successful team went into the season with ambitions of challenging dominant Mercedes for race wins and the championship, after rebounding from their first winless campaign in more than two decades with three wins last year.
The Italian squad, revitalised by new management and the arrival of four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, was the only team to break Mercedes’ stranglehold on the top of the podium in 2015.
Red Bull, meanwhile, have taken giant strides forward.
The Milton Keynes-based outfit overturned what was a 37-point deficit into a 14-point advantage in the space of just four races with a double-podium on Sunday, when the best Ferrari could manage was a fifth and sixth.
Ferrari’s hopes are now pinned on a return to form in the second half. They face the challenge of balancing development of this year’s car with shifting focus onto their challenger for 2017 when the sport is set for sweeping rule changes.
“I think the last couple of races have been harsh and tough for us but very, very useful,” Vettel said. “It’s not that easy to change overnight but there is a plan and I think the second half should be stronger in that regard.”
{{/usCountry}}“I think the last couple of races have been harsh and tough for us but very, very useful,” Vettel said. “It’s not that easy to change overnight but there is a plan and I think the second half should be stronger in that regard.”
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