The fans of the Ferrari they had to wait several years to get back to seeing a red car capable of competing at the top of Formula 1 in terms of performance and speed. The F1-75 built by the Maranello team is probably the best car on the grid this year, as shown in the ‘bullfight’ par excellence of the dry ride. In fact, in qualifying, the 2022-branded Cavallino is unmatched, with ben eight pole positions conquered (seven by Charles Leclerc and one by Carlos Sainz) in 13 GPs disputed. Red Bull is stuck at four and Mercedes has unlocked their tally only in Hungary, thanks to George Russell’s perfect lap. But when you go to look at the world rankings, the Maranello agreement cries.
The Italian team in fact is behind Red Bull by 93 points in the constructors ‘classification and Leclerc pays a deficit of 80 points from Max Verstappen in the drivers’ classification. With more than half the championship now behind him, the real risk for Maranello is to be able to beat, despite himself, a a negative record that has persisted since 1995. In fact, that was the last season in which the team capable of conquering the most pole positions of all – at the time it was Williams – closed the championship without winning any title, neither drivers nor constructors. In that case Damon Hill and David Coulthard put together 12 starts at the pole against only four of Benetton, all signed by Michael Schumacher. Both world championships, however, ended in the hands of the team directed by Flavio Briatore.
In the following years there were several seasons in which two teams shared the scepter of the highest number of seasonal poles and one of the two ended the season with a dry mouth. The last precedent of this kind dates back to 2012, when Red Bull and McLaren won 8 poles each, but both championships took the path of Milton Keynes. I am though 27 years that the absolute best team in qualifying does not remain empty-handed. Of course, the situation could change in the second part of the championship. Numbers in hand at the Cavallino three poles in the last nine races will be enough to be king of Saturday this season. However, it will be decidedly more complicated to think of closing the gap on Versappen and the Red Bulls in the world rankings.
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