Red Mist: Miami Grand Prix was simply not good enough, Ferrari

Whenever Ferrari starts talking its chances up, I cringe. I alluded to that last week. “Those of us who’ve been around long enough also know to take Ferrari promise with a pinch of salt. Until we actually see something. Which may be around Austria time, if history repeats.”

Well, it seems I was not too far from the mark. If anything, Austria now seems too soon, too.

Sometimes it hurts to be a Tifosi. There’s been too much hurting for way too long, too. I was fortunate enough to be around, and even part of the Kyalami action when Gilles and Jody dominated on Forghieri’s glorious 312 T4’s debut. A lifetime ago in 1979. So when Jody clinched it at Monza, it was Nirvana.

But it took 21 years to celebrate like that again when Michael and the dream team’s roller started to steam. Which went in until Kimi. Which will be 20 years ago come November.

Which means there’s just a year left to prevent that dreadful repeat. No. Not even Alonso, Kimi coming back, Vettel or Hamilton were able to turn it around. And they won fifteen of those titles in those 20 years. Mainly for other teams, of course.

So when I watched Vasseur’s smug smile when Charles led all those sessions in Miami, I wondered. Too good to be true? Damn right it was. Because after Mercedes turned up all those wicks, we were stuffed.

And then they raced. Whoopee, Charles pulled another monster start and led. But what is that worth when the rest of the day was plain crap? Pity about Lewis. But judging by Leclerc even the sun’s gravity would not have helped his downforce.

It’d been OK it Charles had looked after his tyres a little better. But he (uncharacteristically) stuffed it up too. It doesn’t matter how well we start races. It also seems unlikely ADUO will help in the end either. Specifically since this new bleating about the power deficit has taken over from that suddenly forgotten false promise.

Because on current evidence, even Red Bull with its greenfields four race old Blue Oval badged power units have the red cars that have raced Formula 1 for three straight quarters of a century, covered, we don’t need to improve. We need a miracle. No Ferrari this is simply not good enough. On every front.