Source: REUTERS/Mark Peterson
[Saba Sports News] In the recently concluded 2025 F1 season opener, Ferrari’s strategy was strongly criticized by Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner. Horner believed that Ferrari abandoned their gamble at a critical moment in the race, resulting in Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc finishing in 10th and 8th place respectively. At that point in the race, due to an accident causing the safety car to be deployed, Ferrari chose to keep Hamilton and Leclerc on the track in hopes of gaining an advantage by delaying pit stops. However, as the rain intensified, Ferrari decided to call the drivers in for wet-weather tires after one lap of the safety car period. This decision was deemed by Horner to be the worst possible strategy at the worst possible time, stating that when clouds appear over the pit lane, it is usually the right time to switch to wet tires. But Ferrari seemed to be taking a gamble that the rain wouldn’t intensify further. Ferrari’s strategic error left both drivers at the bottom of the points-scoring positions, far behind in the competition among the four major teams. The next race will take place at the Shanghai International Circuit, which is the first sprint race of the season, where drivers can theoretically earn up to 37 points. This is a good opportunity for Ferrari to return to the championship contention; however, another strategic error might provoke widespread ridicule within the paddock.