Brawn: Ferrari has a 'potentially explosive' duo

The Russian GP hurt the Ferrari clan. Able to sign a double in Sochi after dominating the races since the restart at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), the Team got his feet caught in the carpet.

Abandonment due to engine problem Sebastian Vettel allowed Mercedes de Lewis Hamilton et Valtteri Bottas to get ahead of the SF90 by Charles Leclerc. The Italian team was taken by surprise while it was focused on resolving the differences between its two drivers, the Monegasque asking to regain the lead of the race according to the initial strategy that would have been established before departure.

Ross Brawn, Motor Sports director of Liberty Media, returned to the delicate chapter started by the Prancing Horse.

“Mattia Binotto (Ferrari Team Principal) is going to have his work cut out for the next few days in these troubled waters, he comments. Ferrari have clearly made great progress in recent weeks, but they still have to deal with internal issues regarding the balance between the two drivers. »

“We have on the one hand a four-time world champion who remains one of the best on the grid, despite some mistakes over the last two seasons. And on the other, they have incredible talent with Charles Leclerc. After all, you don't get 6 poles, including 4 in a row, as well as two victories on circuits as prestigious as Spa and Monza if you're not a potential star.", adds Ross Brawn.

“This is a potentially explosive combination and must be proceeded with caution. Mattia is obviously aware of how this works because he already experienced this situation when he was a young engineer, but the honor of these responsibilities now rests on his shoulders. He must ensure that this rivalry is healthy.", specifies the thinking head of the owners of the F1.

Scuderia Ferrari had already faced tensions between Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc when the German won the Singapore GP with the help of strategy, at the expense of his teammate who was leading the race.

Discover the analysis of the Russian GP carried out by our special correspondents in issue 2236 of AUTOhebdo, available now in digital version on all platforms, and on newsstands this Wednesday.