A Lackluster Begin
There’s little doubt that Ferrari has had an unsatisfactory begin to the 2025 Components 1 World Championship, as, after simply three races, it’s 76 factors behind McLaren within the Constructors’ Championship, and Charles Leclerc is 42 factors adrift of chief Lando Norris. Contemplating the winter expectations, justified by the arrival of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the outcomes are fairly poor.
Nevertheless, it’s additionally true that there are nonetheless 21 races left within the season, and it’s equally true that in 2024, after three races, McLaren was in third place (with just one top-3 end in qualifying and one podium within the race) 42 factors behind Purple Bull after which went on to win the Constructors’ Championship. Subsequently, the judgment for Ferrari is actually not constructive, however there may be nonetheless time to make up the hole – in a season that can finish in December.
The Traditional Over-the-Prime Headline from Bild
On Monday, April 7, the German newspaper Bild – as is its model – didn’t maintain again in describing Ferrari’s present state of affairs and titled: “The Return of the Purple Cucumber,” evaluating Lewis Hamilton’s begin at Maranello to Michael Schumacher’s practically thirty years in the past. The tough tone is maintained all through the article, the place the dream is described as turning right into a nightmare, and Hamilton is alleged to be “solely a matter of time earlier than he explodes in frustration and the Prancing Horse takes over.”
These are clearly unkind phrases, however they’re consistent with what Bild has been identified for through the years – particularly in terms of the Italian staff.
In Michael Schumacher’s first 12 months at Maranello, he failed to start out from pole place in France as a consequence of a blown engine in the course of the formation lap.
Bild was extraordinarily harsh: “Within the trash together with this cucumber!” with a headline: “Schumi: the Ferrari smoke below his rear finish.” Michael Schumacher, a two-time champion with Benetton, accepted the problem from the Prancing Horse, and his first season was actually not straightforward…
…and in 2006
After successful 5 consecutive world titles and making historical past, Bild revisited the 12 months when all of it started, ten years later – in a 2006 article. The ‘pink cucumber’ label was coined, which was then used once more simply a few days in the past for Lewis Hamilton.
“His first Ferrari was the pink cucumber,” with this caption below the photographs: “Already in February, throughout Estoril testing, Schumi ran away from the Ferrari in flames. ‘The place have I ended up?’ he appeared to ask.”
Idiots within the Pits
Many will bear in mind the 2001 Malaysian Grand Prix, when a monsoon hit the Sepang monitor in the course of the third lap of the race. There was quite a lot of confusion, and Michael Schumacher discovered himself ready for over a minute within the pit lane for teammate Rubens Barrichello’s tire change – Barrichello, who was forward of him, had misplaced his proper entrance tire.
Schumi re-entered the monitor in eleventh place, and due to the Security Automobile, he managed to remain in contact with the leaders and executed an thrilling comeback that noticed him win the race with a 23-second lead.
Bild pointed the finger at Ferrari’s mechanics: “They’re again! The idiots within the Ferrari pits. Oh my God! One, two, three, the place’s the fourth?” referring to the lacking tire throughout Barrichello’s cease. The article then had an much more direct assault: “Arduous to consider Schumi received this race. The idiots within the Ferrari pits had ruined all the things once more…”
Poor Schumacher, surrounded by a bunch of incapable folks – who would finally assist him win 5 consecutive world titles throughout these years.
However Now There’s No Schumacher
If in all these cases there might be some justification for the hyper-protectionism towards Michael Schumacher, in 2025 – despite the fact that Ferrari isn’t delivering as anticipated – the “return of the pink cucumber” appears excessively offensive and last, particularly because the Components 1 World Championship is just simply starting.
May it maybe be associated to Lewis Hamilton’s choice to depart Mercedes, a German staff, and be part of Ferrari? Ah, who is aware of…
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