Hungary, the turning point for Ferrari?

On a circuit where Sebastian Vettel had triumphed over Mercedes and Red Bull 2015 in the Team Ferrari will not present itself in the same balance of power this season. If Maurizio Arrivabene's men had once seemed capable of disrupting the domination of Mercedes at the very start of the season, it is clear that since May, the SF16-H of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen are now in the background, particularly in the face of the return to the forefront of the RB12s of Verstappen et Ricciardo.

The Hungarian meeting, which smiled so much on the Italian team last year, could well set the tone for the end of the Maranello campaign in 2016. “After Hungary, we cannot waste any more time, specifies Maurizio Arrivabene on the website of the F1. After that, we will understand what our chances are, and where we stand, and I believe we cannot fail. »

The Italian remains convinced that Ferrari's primary objective remains to thwart Mercedes' dominance, despite the obvious reliability problems encountered by the SF16-H since the spring. An area which remains the major element on which the transalpine engineers are currently focusing according to the Team Principal.

“Earlier in the season we had some issues with some Power Unit components, and these were resolved to the point where today our strong point is the engine. Now we have to work on reliability and other areas such as aerodynamics.

We must focus on solving problems, and do so in difficult times. At this stage of the season you can't have revolutionary solutions. Silverstone highlighted concerns that are not only track-related, but which had already appeared in Barcelona and Baku. »

On the sidelines of the British Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel, once again sanctioned with a five-place penalty for yet another gearbox change, confessed that the progress made by Ferrari at the start of the championship was no longer sufficient in the face of to the return to form of several teams, including Red Bull Racing.

“We need to make the car faster, find more downforce, make it more efficient and at the same time add a little power. » proclaimed the German. A new failure by the Scuderia at the Hungaroring could also push Italian officials to look even more towards 2017, where a profound change in technical regulations will take place.