Webber: Ferrari may need to consider writing off 2019 soon
Ferrari should consider writing off its 2019 Formula 1 campaign and switching focus to next year if it doesn't quickly turn the tables on Mercedes, reckons Mark Webber.
With Mercedes having delivered a record-breaking five 1-2 finishes at the start of the season, the German car manufacturer has opened up a comfortable lead in the world championship.
Although Ferrari still has faith that it can get itself back in the hunt by making improvements to its 2019 car, Webber thinks the situation does not look good for the Italian outfit.
Speaking to Sky Italia ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, Webber thinks that the next two races will be decisive for Ferrari's titles hopes – and he believes there will come a point soon where thoughts should shift to 2020.
"Unfortunately, it looks challenging for them because aerodynamically Mercedes looks like it has found a beautiful solution for its car to be quick on all types of tracks," said Webber.
"They were fast enough at Albert Park, they were fast in Bahrain – although of course Charles [Leclerc] should have won that race but didn't – but generally the Mercedes is a very versatile car at the moment.
"If the season is going for the next three months like this then Ferrari will have to focus on next year's car already. If they come to Canada and they are a long way behind, then they are in big trouble."
Webber says as well as Ferrari not having the quickest car, it has also suffered because its race strategy hasn't been good enough.
"[Mercedes] are very organised, especially on race day," added the Australian. "They look very composed, very relaxed. Of course they trust all of the practice that they put into play and they are very good under pressure.
"Unfortunately I see Ferrari with the strategy and everything, they look like they are a little bit disorganised. They are what we say in English, reactive, not proactive. They are very reactive to what is happening, they are not on the front foot.
"I know it is always easy to be like that with a slower car but I think they are... in Baku for example, with Charles they could have done a different strategy there. I think in Barcelona always swapping the cars, they are fighting each other and not fighting Mercedes."
Webber also says that his former Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel is facing a 'double problem' by having a slow car and a quick teammate, although he reckons the German could still come back strong in 2019.
"Challenging times for him because of course every year that goes by you get a little bit older, and you have to reassess how your profession is. He has a lot of experience, and it is one thing to have the problem if Ferrari are fast and winning races and you are sharing the victories with your teammate, this is one thing.
"But when you are not sharing the victories, then you have pressure because the team is not winning and then you have pressure because your teammate is there. It is a double problem.
"I believe he is still strong to do a good job and to come back to a degree. Charles is very relaxed, beautiful nature, rock star for the sport – it is what we need.
"But Sebastian still needs that last little bit of support in the team, whether it is engineering, what it is I am not sure. I still think there is an opportunity for some extra people to make this last part of the jigsaw [for him] to execute in the best way."
Tom Kristensen and Mark Webber
Photo by: Gareth Harford / Sutton Images
Previous article
Mercedes to run red halo as Lauda tribute
Next article
How Lauda shaped the dominant Mercedes machine
Can Red Bull really win anywhere now it’s toppled a Mercedes F1 stronghold?
OPINION: Red Bull team boss Christian Horner reckoned Max Verstappen winning the French Grand Prix – an event where Mercedes had previously been dominant – would signal “we can beat them anywhere”. Here’s how that claim stacks up looking at the rest of the 2021 season
The IndyCar feature that Paul Ricard desperately needs in F1
The French Grand Prix offered a surprisingly interesting spectacle, despite the headache-inducing nature of the circuit. But IndyCar's Road America race offered far more in terms of action - and the increased jeopardy at the Elkhart Lake venue might be something Paul Ricard needs in future...
French Grand Prix driver ratings
The French GP was a weekend decided by tiny margins both at the front of the field, as Red Bull inflicted a comeback defeat on Mercedes, and in the battle for the minor points places. That's reflected in our driver ratings, where several drivers came close to a maximum score
How Red Bull took French GP "payback" on a day of Mercedes mistakes
The French GP has been a stronghold for Mercedes since Paul Ricard's return to the calendar in 2018. But that all changed on Sunday, as a clever two-stop strategy guided Red Bull's Max Verstappen to make a race-winning pass on the penultimate lap - for once leaving Mercedes to experience the pain of late defeat it has so often inflicted on Red Bull
The Mercedes lap that puts F1 victory fight back on a knife-edge
Red Bull led the way after the first two practice sessions for the 2021 French Grand Prix, but only just ahead of Mercedes. There was all the usual practice skulduggery complicating the performance picture, but one aspect seen at the world champion squad gave it a ‘surprise’ lift, as it looks to leave its street-circuit struggles firmly in the past.
How Ferrari got its F1 recovery plan working
After its worst campaign in 40 years, the famous Italian team had to bounce back in 2021 – and it appears to be delivering. Although it concedes the pole positions in Monaco and Baku paint a somewhat misleading picture of its competitiveness, the team is heading into the 2022 rules revamp on much stronger footing to go for wins again
The joy that exposes F1’s key weakness
Long-awaited wins for ex-Formula 1 drivers Marcus Ericsson and Kevin Magnussen in IndyCar and IMSA last weekend gave F1 a reminder of what it is missing. But with the new rules aimed at levelling the playing field, there’s renewed optimism that more drivers can have a rewarding result when their day of days comes
The F1 figures Red Bull and Mercedes can't afford to see again
OPINION: An interloper squad got amongst the title contenders during Formula 1’s street-circuit mini-break, where Red Bull left with the points lead in both championships. But, as the campaign heads back to purpose-built venues once again, how the drivers of the two top teams compare in one crucial area will be a major factor in deciding which squad stays in or retakes the top spot
