During the Italian Grand Prix, Ferrari left everyone speechless, not only with its performance on the track, but also with a mysterious upgrade that revolutionized the Scuderia’s car. Vasseur, Ferrari team principal, finally revealed the secret behind the RB21’s spectacular improvement, which allowed the car to gain up to 19 seconds ahead of the two McLaren MCL39s, surprising even the Woking team.
The much-discussed update involves a series of aerodynamic and mechanical modifications that have significantly increased the car’s efficiency, improving not only straight-line speed, but also cornering and overall stability. Ferrari worked secretly on this development for months, meticulously testing it in the wind tunnel and on the track to ensure the impact on the car was as optimal as possible. The surprise, however, was how quickly the update made the RB21 incredibly competitive, leaving McLaren feeling deeply frustrated.
The two MCL39s, which had shown impressive race pace in the previous weeks, were completely stunned by the Ferrari’s speed, which not only dominated qualifying but also increased its lead in the race, making the McLaren appear significantly slower. This led the Woking team to suspect that Ferrari had exploited an illegal technology or modification, so much so that they immediately filed a complaint with the FIA, requesting verification of the legitimacy of the updates.
Vasseur, for his part, defended Ferrari’s decision, stating that all the updates were fully compliant with the regulations and that each component had been carefully verified to ensure transparency and legality. He emphasized that Ferrari had worked meticulously, without resorting to non-compliant solutions, and that the improvements were the result of a long and constant development process.
McLaren, however, wasn’t the only one surprised. Other teams, including Mercedes and Red Bull, also expressed surprise at Ferrari’s dominant performance. Some insiders speculated that the Maranello team had found a way to optimize aerodynamic efficiency and tire use, crucial aspects on a circuit like Monza, which rewards raw speed and the ability to maximize engine power.
McLaren’s complaint was taken seriously by the FIA, which launched an investigation to verify whether the update introduced by Ferrari complied with the technical regulations. However, at this time, Ferrari has stated that it is confident that there are no irregularities in their modification package and that the on-track result is the fruit of careful and legal work.
In any case, this episode has sparked considerable debate in the Formula 1 world, with teams preparing for a long season of updates and strategies, in a championship that promises to be increasingly competitive. Ferrari has shown it can once again be a true protagonist, but now it will also have to deal with the uncertainty surrounding the FIA investigation and its potential consequences.
