Hakkinen defends Ferrari: "That is something unique to them"
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Ferrari's home race at Monza was marked by statements from John Elkann. The Ferrari president indicated that the Italian team needs to improve in all areas, which put even more pressure on the team. Mika Hakkinen stated that the pressure is always greater for Ferrari than for other teams, which puts the Italians in a unique position.
Extra pressure for Ferrari
Elkann's comments put extra pressure on Ferrari, who were already under considerable pressure to perform in front of their home crowd at Monza. The team managed to get through the Italian Grand Prix without making any major mistakes, but it proved not enough to beat Max Verstappen to victory.
Hakkinen argues that the pressure has always been greater for Ferrari than for other teams. "That is something unique to them. Of course at McLaren we felt the pressure of competing to win, trying our best, not being satisfied if we were not winning, but Ferrari has always had this additional pressure of being a kind of national team," said the Finn in his column for Unibet.
The former Formula One driver can imagine that it is not easy for both the management and the drivers of Ferrari to always feel that pressure on their shoulders. Moreover, the team started the season very strongly, but according to Hakkinen, it simply cannot compete with the well-oiled machine of Red Bull Racing anymore.
"I think this season has been difficult because they started with a quick car, race wins and a lot of confidence, but Red Bull have operated so efficiently, making so few mistakes and improving the car," said the two-time world champion.