Formula 1: Ferrari’s Spa race was even more terrible than it looked

Ferrari’s awful performance in the Belgian Grand Prix at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps was their worst in a Formula 1 race in a long, long time.

Ferrari showed up to Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps as the two-time reigning winners of Formula 1‘s annual trip to Belgium for the Belgian Grand Prix.

But after Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc won the race in 2018 and 2019, respectively, with the latter securing his first career Formula 1 victory at the 19-turn, 4.352-mile (7.004-kilometer) road course in Stavelot when he took the checkered flag, the Scuderia laid an egg this year.

It’s no secret that the team’s SF1000 is a tractor, specifically marred by horrible engine performance after that whole ordeal, which we won’t get into here.

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Even though Leclerc has somehow managed to secure three top four finishes, including two podium finishes, in the first seven races of the 2020 campaign, their results show that they are in for their worst season in decades as a result of just how poorly they have performed this year.

But the fact that they have had a horrible year was taken to a new level in this past Sunday’s race. Vettel finished in 13th place, which is where he sits in the driver standings behind drivers from seven of the sport’s 10 teams, while Leclerc finished behind him in 14th, a disappointing performance for the driver who is still somehow sitting in a fifth place tie in the standings despite Ferrari’s awful pace.

Only 17 drivers finished the Belgian Grand Prix, and the three who did so behind the Ferrari teammates were the two Haas drivers, Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen, and Williams rookie Nicholas Latifi.

To put this into perspective, Haas and Williams have combined for one point in the last 12 races going back to last year. Williams have scored just one point in the last 35 races themselves, and that one point was a fluke. Even Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen finished ahead of Vettel and Leclerc in his Ferrari-powered car that hasn’t scored a point all year.

Ferrari finishing outside of the points isn’t anything new, even when they have been competitive. But the last several times both drivers did so, it was due to at least one retirement. In fact, the last three times this happened going back to 2017, it happened due to a collision between the Ferrari teammates.

But Ferrari actually finishing a race and doing so with both drivers out of the points hadn’t happened in more than 10 years, and the last time it did happen, it was because of a penalty.

In the 2010 British Grand Prix at Silverstone Circuit, Fernando Alonso was running toward the front of the field before a drive-through penalty dropped him to 14th place. Felipe Massa finished behind him in 15th.

In terms of failing to score points on pure performance, Ferrari hadn’t done so since the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit when Raikkonen finished in 12th place ahead of Giancarlo Fisichella in 16th.

Even in 2009 and 2010, Ferrari finished in fourth and third place in the constructor standings, respectively. They sit in fifth so far this year, but a sixth place finish looks most likely given their recent struggles and the recent performance boost of Renault, which trail them by just two points following a 23-point haul at Spa.

What’s worse for Ferrari is the fact that Autodromo Nazionale Monza is set to host the next race on the schedule, the Italian Grand Prix, this Sunday, September 6. While Leclerc won this race last year, Monza is a power-heavy track like Spa, and Ferrari are expected to fight just to score points once again.

Meanwhile, Renault, which are coming off of a double top five result, enter the race having secured a double top five finish there last year.

Don’t rule out two straight performances the likes of which Ferrari hadn’t seen since 2009 before last weekend. ESPN is set to broadcast the race live beginning at 9:10 a.m. ET.