Maurizio Arrivabene has criticised the decisions made from the pit wall during Qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix that saw both Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel leave the pits on intermediate tyres at the beginning of Q3 when slicks were the tyres needed.
The two Scuderia Ferrari drivers were the only ones of the ten Q3 participants to go with the Intermediate tyre, and it cost them valuable track time and seemingly out of position, with Räikkönen ending fourth and Vettel only ninth.
When they did make the change to the slick tyres, conditions turned against them again as the rain began to fall around the Suzuka International Racing Course, meaning it was impossible for them to improve on their times.
Arrivabene was displeased with the choices made from the pit wall and it sometimes needs someone to watch the track rather than a computer to determine the tyre choice, and he feels having such a young and inexperienced team without an old hand to lead them cost them dearly again in Japan.
“From the way things were done, I do not think that pole position was within our reach, but what happened today is unacceptable,” said Arrivabene to Motorsport.com. “I am very angry. It is not the first time that these mistakes have occurred.
“I do not feel like pointing my fingers at someone in particular, but I’m very disappointed. Unlike on other occasions, it was easy to understand what was happening on the track, as all our opponents left the pits with slicks.
“Sometimes it is more useful to take your eyes off computers and watch the track, using common sense. It is true that we are a young team, and we are probably missing an ‘old hand’, an experienced person capable of reading situations correctly and quickly.”
