Formula 1: Ferrari constantly finding new ways to blow races

Just when Ferrari seem to have figured out every possible way to blow a Formula 1 race, they go and discover a new way to do so.

The Japanese Grand Prix was yet another Formula 1 race that Scuderia Ferrari entered looking like the favorites following their fifth consecutive pole position and another front row lockout, with Sebastian Vettel on the pole and Charles Leclerc in second place.

And it was yet another race that the Scuderia managed to choke away in what has become typical Ferrari fashion over the last few seasons.

But the thing about “typical Ferrari fashion” is that there is nothing typical about it; every time they manage to blow yet another race, they seem to find a new way to do it.

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That proved to be true in the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit.

Before the lights went out to get this 53-lap race around the 18-turn, 3.609-mile (5.808-kilometer) Suzuka Circuit road course in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, Japan, Vettel jumped the start.

This, in turn, messed up his start after he managed to stop his car before the race actually began, and it screwed up Leclerc’s start by way of an altered reaction time. Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport’s Valtteri Bottas reacted to Vettel’s start, but it affected him positively, and he was able to take the lead heading into turn one because of the jump he got on Vettel and Leclerc.

Nobody was penalized for this disaster, but it cost Ferrari a chance at contending for the victory.

Following his poor start, Leclerc then made contact with Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen in turn one, which ultimately damaged Leclerc’s car and knocked him out of contention and caused Verstappen to retire from the race.

Bottas ended up coasting to a victory, his third of the season. Vettel finished in second place, 13.343 seconds behind Bottas, and Leclerc finished in sixth.

But this isn’t the first time Ferrari have blown a victory in the last few seasons.

In the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix, Vettel and teammate Kimi Raikkonen both started in the top three, with Vettel starting from the pole position. They were both involved in a multi-car crash in turn one on the race’s opening lap, and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton ended up winning the race after leading all 58 laps even though he started in fifth place.

In the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a bad strategy call cost Vettel the lead. He then made an overaggressive pass attempt on Bottas to try to take the lead back, and he cost himself several positions by doing so, promoting Hamilton to second place. Bottas then had a tire go down with under three laps remaining, so instead of Vettel being in position to win, it was Hamilton who was victorious.

Then in the 2018 German Grand Prix, Vettel crashed late with a massive lead, effectively handing the victory to Mercedes. Because of the pit strategy of the Silver Arrows, Hamilton won ahead of Bottas in second place.

In the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix, Leclerc was dominant but ended up losing what was almost a sure victory due to a late engine issue. Instead of Vettel being in position to capitalize, it was Hamilton winning ahead of Bottas in second place, as Vettel had spun out and damaged his car after attempting to hold off Hamilton for what was second at the time.

Qualifying was a disaster for the team in both the 2019 Azerbaijan Grand Prix and the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix. Leclerc appeared to have a shot to take the pole positions for both races based on his speed in the practice sessions, but a wreck in the qualifying session for the former and poor strategy by Ferrari in the latter handed Mercedes two pole positions. Bottas won the former ahead of Hamilton in second place while Hamilton won the latter after leading all 78 laps.

In the 2019 Canadian Grand Prix, Vettel was on his way to winning ahead of Hamilton in second place before going off the course and reentering ahead of Hamilton in a manner deemed “unsafe” by the race stewards. He was issued a five-second time penalty, making Hamilton the winner.

Finally, Ferrari’s team order tactics in the 2019 Russian Grand Prix cost them a victory. They enabled Vettel to pass polesitter Leclerc from third place at the start of the race to run in first and second. When Vettel was unwilling to give the position back to Leclerc, even after Leclerc obeyed the earlier team orders, Ferrari promoted Leclerc to the lead through pit stops.

Then Vettel was forced to retire with a mechanical failure. But instead of solidifying Leclerc’s position as the likely race winner, this ruined Leclerc’s race, as Vettel was ordered to pull his car over as opposed to bringing it into the pits, bringing out a virtual safety car period that allowed Hamilton and Bottas to pit while the rest of the field were not at full speed. Hamilton won the race ahead of Bottas in second place and Leclerc in third.

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Formula 1 has almost become a game of “How will Ferrari find a way to blow this race?”, and the wackiest bet always rakes in the most money. Fortunately, they did win the Belgian Grand Prix and the Italian Grand Prix with Charles Leclerc earlier this year, and they did win the Singapore Grand Prix with Sebastian Vettel, so despite their recent struggles, the 2019 season hasn’t been a compete throwaway for the team.

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