After ruling out rapid fixes for their power unit troubles, Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto even acknowledged that unreliability might continue to hamper them for the remainder of the season.
As a result of a string of mechanical issues and poor tactical choices that cost Scuderia the lead in both the Driver and Constructor Standings, Toto Wolff, the team principal of Mercedes, believes Ferrari is "dropping the ball" in the championship battle against Red Bull.
According to Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto, all that remains for his team to do is aim for victory in each of the remaining races.
When asked if Red Bull's failure would now be necessary for the Italian team to win the championship, Binotto responded: “I don't know, because I'm not counting points. If you would have asked me before this race what was the gap to Red Bull or Max, I couldn't answer to you because I'm not looking."
Leclerc appears to be on track to win in France, and Ferrari's vehicle has shown to be incredibly quick, according to Binotto, giving the team the impression that they may put together an impressive run.
“I think what's more important to see is the good package,” he explained. “There is no reason why not to win 10 races from now to the end.
“I think that the way to look at it is positively, and I like to be positive - staying optimistic. Could something happen to Max and to Red Bull? It already happened to them as it happened to us. Maybe it happens as well.
“But I'm not counting on it. I think we need to be focused on ourselves and do the best.”
Leclerc was left to calculate the cost of the error that cost him the French GP, but Binotto makes it very plain that the Monegasque's pace suggests that things might change dramatically very quickly.
Ferrari is not only on track to accomplish that, which would be an enormous improvement over its pitiful sixth-place finish in 2020, but it also has the unanticipated benefit of Charles Leclerc's two pole positions to demonstrate its advancement.
Given that Ferrari only leads McLaren by two points and that the calendar is now moving away from the slower tracks where Ferrari has excelled, it is unclear whether it will be able to maintain third position.
However, given Ferrari's difficulties in 2017 and the attention on the 2022 car for the brand-new technical regulations, what has happened thus far this season must be seen as a success.
Ferrari's 2021 vehicle has demonstrated its superiority in slow-speed turns, and thanks to its flexible mechanical foundation, it also handles bumps and kerbs with ease.
Running in low-downforce trim made it competitive over a single lap even in Azerbaijan, where the lengthy straights were predicted to expose its continued power unit weakness.
Although Ferrari's performance in qualifying continues to be a strength, the performance pendulum may swing more in McLaren's favor at Paul Ricard and the Red Bull Ring over the course of the next three weekends.
Ferrari has historically been stronger than McLaren in qualifying trim and having taken a few races to get to grips with its car, it's not impossible that it could carry over its form from Spain. The biggest issue, however, is race pace.
It's encouraging to see how well Ferrari adapted to the new aerodynamic regulations this year. Its creative strategy for imitating Mercedes' swept-back rear suspension design with its modest expenditure shows that technical considerations were made with care.
Given the engine freeze, progress with the power unit will be crucial not only for 2022 but also for the following two seasons.
Ferrari has chosen to remain with its aggressive approach to combustion technology and not pursue the split turbo concept on which it had been working.
The likelihood that this will succeed is strong, and Ferrari's performance from 2022 through 2024 may depend on whether this course of action is the best one.
The Race's estimates show that Charles Leclerc has lost between 99 and 123 points since the Emilia Romagna GP in Imola as a result of his crash while leading the French Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen could finish second in every race and win all 10 fastest lap points and still win the championship by two points, thus even if Charles Leclerc were to win all 10 of the remaining grand prix and the sprint race in Brazil, it wouldn't secure the championship for the Ferrari driver.
The team manager of Leclerc, Binotto, stated that he does not look at the standings and believes that Ferrari has the capacity to win each of the remaining 2022 races based on its performance this season.
The team manager of Leclerc, Binotto, claimed he doesn't look at the standings and believes Ferrari has the chance to win each of the remaining 2022 races.
Only three of the eight pole positions Ferrari has earned this season have resulted in victories, putting the team closer to third-place Mercedes in the constructors' championship than to leader Red Bull.
With Ferrari and Red Bull dominating the grid and major teams like Mercedes failing to compete for the championship, the 2022 Formula One World Championship is nothing short of a surprise package for the spectators.
Polesitter Charles Leclerc finished fourth after Ferrari made numerous tactical errors during the race's switch from wet to dry tyres, which caused Leclerc to lose the race to Red Bull's Sergio Perez and drop off the podium.
“I’m pretty sure that those situations will make us stronger,” Binotto said. “And we are pretty aware, being competitive is a fact; winning is another task. And it’s another level of difficulty. And I think as a team, we are still progressing, learning and maybe it will take some more time.” expressed Binotto.
