Guenther Steiner criticizes Ferrari for their unwillingness to acknowledge errors in their Formula 1 strategy.
Former Haas Formula 1 team boss Guenther Steiner posits that Ferrari's unwillingness to recognize mistakes is adversely affecting its performance on the track.
During his appearance on The Red Flags Podcast, Steiner examined the strategic decisions made during the turbulent Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, where Ferrari opted to commence the race on soft slick tyres despite the wet conditions.
This risky choice quickly proved detrimental, causing both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to drop positions early on. Nevertheless, Hamilton and Leclerc managed to fight back from the rear of the grid to secure third and fourth place, respectively.
Steiner contended that Ferrari's hesitance to promptly switch to intermediate tyres, unlike McLaren's decision with Oscar Piastri, reflected an unwillingness to concede fault.
"At McLaren, it’s like, 'Alright, we might have made a mistake, let’s correct it,'" Steiner remarked. "At Ferrari, it’s, 'No, we must demonstrate that we made the right choice, even when it's incorrect, because we cannot acknowledge that we were wrong.'
"It’s not about discussing it in the moment; it’s simply in the back of your mind... 'Alright, this has to be the correct decision, don’t alter it, because then I admit it was wrong.'"
Hamilton, who began the race in second place, expressed a blend of emotions after the event. While he was pleased to once again stand on the podium, he couldn’t shake the thought of what might have been had he started on the intermediate tyres.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
"It’s a complicated feeling. On one hand, I’m truly thankful to have returned to the podium," the Brit stated to Sky Sports F1 post-race. "On the other hand, considering the discussions we were having behind the scenes, seeing the covers come off the car in front of us while we were on slicks, and with the track being so tricky and perilous at the start, my heart definitely sank, and I thought that was it for the race.
"But then they asked, 'Should we pit?' and I responded, 'No, we've made our choice, we have to stick with it, and we’ll remain out here until this place finally dries.' And eventually, it did dry up, and I just kept my focus, kept pushing, and refused to give in.
"I certainly didn’t anticipate making it back to P3. It’s wild to think we were over a minute behind. And the track took an eternity to dry.
"Typically, it has been drizzling, and it dries up quickly because it's usually so hot here, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case for quite a while. However, the team executed solid pit stops, and I do wish we had more time and chances to advance further. That safety car at the end was a fortunate break that helped me reach the podium."
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