McLaren had a very underwhelming start to the 2023 season, picking up a mere 17 points from the first seven races. As the team worked tirelessly towards bringing improvements to the car, former world champion Mika Hakkinen prophesied the Woking-based team would soon pose a challenge to Red Bull. While it may have seemed a far-fetched idea back then, McLaren has pulled up their socks and delivered on Hakkinen’s words. Motorsport Italy now reports the Finnish former driver has similarly suggested that Ferrari might be able to follow in their rivals’ footsteps.
Speaking about Ferrari’s struggles, Hakkinen says the team has the wrong car running for them. The drivers claimed to have small problems with the car, but the Finnish believes them to be major issues. He says the car is difficult to drive, thus increasing the possibility of making mistakes. The prancing horses might be struggling in the middle of the table, but should they sport the correct car, their drivers will achieve incredible results- says Hakkinen.
The 54-year-old also believes with the correct people driving the car and working in the paddock, Ferrari will become an outfit worthy of winning races.
Mika Hakkinen confident Ferrari can duplicate McLaren’s success
While talking to Motorsport Italy, the two-time world champion showed his belief in Ferrari as he said the team is capable of becoming a winning outfit. Much like he said about McLaren, Hakkinen is confident the Italian team will soon challenge Red Bull on the track, provided they have the right tools.
“Seeing it in action in certain corners I said to myself: ‘Oh, they’ve got the wrong car’. After the first outing, the riders said they had small problems, but from my point of view they were really big problems, even more so because the Red Bull was flying. But recovering is possible: what McLaren did recently is a great example. In Woking no one pointed the finger at anyone, they worked hard. It’s the people that make the difference.”
Hakkinen also mentioned that Ferrari drivers have more pressure on them than anyone else. With both drivers not on rookie status anymore, they have shown consistent signs of being able to deliver race-winning performances.
Hakkinen shows faith in Ferrari’s driver lineup
The former McLaren driver believes both Leclerc and Sainz are great drivers who possess championship-winning skills. But the fact that they are not getting the right resources from their team has severely impacted their ability to fetch positive results for them. He also feels that the fact that neither of them have won titles before, adds extra pressure on them.
Ferrari’s failed attempts at delivering championship-winning cars have also raised alarms about the potential departures of both their preferred drivers. Having not signed any contract extensions yet, both Leclerc and Sainz may look to explore their horizons in hopes of joining an outfit capable of giving them a reliable car.
