Brawn: 'Off the pace' Ferrari quickly needs to identify issues

©Ferrari

Formula 1's director of motorsports Ross Brawn says Ferrari has a long road to recovery ahead of itself, but the Italian outfit needs to quickly identify the root cause of the weakness of its SF1000.

Ferrari lucked into a second place finish with Charles Leclerc in the opening race of the 2020 season, but the Monegasque and Sebastian Vettel's pace in qualifying at the Red Bull Ring showed that the Scuderia's contender was no where near its front-running rivals.

Ferrari fast-tracked a series of aero updates which were introduced last weekend, but the team's form remained depressed. And to add insult to injury, Leclerc torpedoed on the opening lap his and Vettel's Styrian Grand Prix on Sunday.

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Brawn says the untimely lack of mileage will inevitably weigh on Ferrari's development program and progress.

"As a team boss, you never want to see that happen, but this will hurt Ferrari even more given they had worked hard to bring their upgraded aerodynamic package to Austria a week ahead of schedule – and the collision between Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc has robbed them of a chance to analyse the new package," noted Brawn who worked as the Scuderia's technical director between 1997 and 2006.

"One of the biggest problems for Ferrari is that of all the teams on the grid, they come under the closest scrutiny from the media, particularly in Italy.

"I know from my own experience that the media pressure in Italy can be incredibly intense, and you have to make sure it doesn’t get to your people.

"The management have to cope with it and make sure the staff maintain the faith and stay focused on what needs to be done."

©Ferrari

Brawn is forecasting "a long road ahead" for the House of Maranello before it gets its affairs in order.

"They aren’t going to turn it around overnight, and there’s a long road ahead of them," he added.

"They need to find out if there is a fundamental problem with the car – and they need to find out fast – because clearly they are some way off the pace."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.