Opinion: Ferrari seems incapable of learning

During the chaotic first lap in the rain, Ferrari did not equip its cars with intermediate tires, even though heavy rain was falling on Zandvoort.

Ferrari's pit lane drama struck again, this time at the expense of Charles Leclerc. After the first lap, rain began to fall, turning the track into a veritable ice rink. While some drivers chose to stay on the track, several others headed for the pits to switch to intermediate tires. Leclerc was among the first to do so, but when he pulled into his pit box, the set of intermediate tires was simply not there. The same incident had happened to Ferrari last year with Carlos Sainz, and after that mistake, the team seemed to have tightened up its pit stop procedures, until the Dutch Grand Prix. The sudden downpour was not really a surprise, as the radar had predicted it correctly. The decision to pit is up to the driver, but the team knew well in advance that intermediate tires would be needed in the early laps. So why weren't they ready?

The situation worsened when Leclerc's front wing, damaged in a collision with a McLaren on the first lap, was not repaired. The missing wing significantly reduced aerodynamic downforce, which a competent team would have replaced immediately. However, the mechanics left it as it was.

The team principal will now have to answer questions and probably face public criticism. It should be remembered that he is not the one holding the air gun or fitting the tires: that responsibility lies with the pit crew, who have to react in a matter of seconds.