Red Ferrari in 2023 like ’a shrimp in retreat’

Ferrari’s struggles in 2023 are now becoming the subject of ridicule, as even the partisan Italian media fires shots at the fabled Maranello marque.

The latest festival of poor car performance and team and driver mistakes was in Hungary, leaving the cars just seventh and eighth at the chequered flag.

Corriere della Sera newspaper gave Ferrari just 4 out of 10 for the weekend’s showing.

"The red is no longer that of glorious victories, but of a shrimp in retreat."

The newspaper gave Charles Leclerc a higher score than his teammate Carlos Sainz, but it was a mere 5 out of 10 for the Monegasque who ended his weekend denying he is "demotivated".

"He got another penalty, this time for speeding in the pitlane. He goes from sixth to seventh in the race. The first pistop failed due to a malfunctioning wheel gun.

"In short, in one way or another, it’s not his time and it sure isn’t this season."

Leo Turrini, one of the most experienced and respected Italian journalists, said the performance was on the anniversary of Ferrari’s back-to-back wins last July.

"It seemed like the beginning of a red era," he wrote in his column for Quotidiano Nazionale. "It’s been 12 months and the backwards step is now sensationally stark.

"All indices are negative," Turrini added. "The depressing truth is that this Ferrari we see inflicts very hard blows on the passion of those who love it. Because we don’t see the turning point.

"No one expects miracles like overtaking Max Verstappen’s flying Red Bull. But beaten by the Alfa-Saubers in qualifying and looking at McLaren and Mercedes through binoculars in the race is a bit much.

"What are John Elkann, Benedetto Vigna and Fred Vasseur doing about it?" he wondered.

Former F1 driver Vitaly Petrov agrees with Turrini that a speck of light is definitely not currently visible at the end of Ferrari’s tunnel.

"What plans they have, what they are doing, no one knows," the Russian said via the SMP Racing press service.

"All of them complain - about the different tyres or about updates that don’t work properly. It’s possible that Ferrari is already preparing for next year.

"But what is clearer is that no one will talk about it openly," Petrov added.