• The fourth Grand Prix of the season takes place this Sunday (3 p.m.) in Imola, Italy, not far from the Ferrari factory in Maranello.

  • The fans of Scuderia Ferrari are likely to create an exceptional atmosphere with the strong comeback of the prancing horse brand and the two victories of Charles Leclerc in three Grand Prix.

  • An endless wait for all lovers of red cars, after years of hardship.

“We often talk about the support of the Dutch for Max Verstappen.

But this weekend at Imola, we are going to see an unparalleled fervor, as never seen for a very long time”.

All Scuderia Ferrari fans have been waiting for only one thing since the start of the 2022 Formula 1 season: to finally see a red car driving on an Italian circuit.

The height of their happiness will be this weekend on the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit in Imola, not far from Maranello, where prancing horse cars have been made for almost 80 years.

“We often talk about Monza, but the real temple of Ferrari is Imola.

We are only 80 km from Maranello, failure is prohibited here”, recalls Charles, tifoso and host of the Scuderia Ferrari F1 France page on Twitter.

Failure is forbidden there, victory a tradition.

As evidenced by the seven successes of a certain Michael Schumacher, an absolute record on the circuit.

And the last to date at the wheel of a Ferrari, in 2006. But the Scuderia could well return to it this year at Imola, after a very convincing start to the season marked by two victories for Charles Leclerc, in three Grand Prix.

“For years we pulled the mouth”

"An immense, indescribable joy", for the host of the Twitter page, when "all the colleagues, Tifosi", of Alain, founder of the club of Ferrari enthusiasts on the Côte d'Azur, Scuderia Azzura, are " pumped up" by this very good start to the season.

Because before these two successes, the last victory of a red car in F1 dates back to 2019, in Belgium, on the Spa circuit.

Charles was there to experience the first career triumph of his namesake: “We suffered for years.

Even when the car was good, we didn't have good results.

I still remember Räikkönen's last title [in 2007], I was eight years old.

Only disappointment followed, starting with Massa losing the title in the last corner of the Brazilian GP in 2008.

“For years we have been fired up.

I set up the club during the Schumacher era and we took out the cars every time he won.

Every Sunday we were outside.

For the past few years, I haven't even taken out my flag.

It was catastrophic,” recalls Alain.

A disaster symbolized by the failure of the 2020 season, punctuated by a terrible sixth place in the manufacturer standings behind McLaren, Racing Point or Renault.

Inconceivable when you wear the red tunic.

The renewal inspired by Mattia Binotto

But a season that allowed the team to work in the shadows to be competitive the following year.

“The year 2020 also served as a laboratory to see everything that was wrong.

Reorganize the stable without kicking out.

By keeping the same teams, but with an internal reorganization by simply putting people in the right place.

By improving on certain points such as pit stops with the purchase of more efficient guns, with more meticulous preparation.

It is no coincidence that Ferrari is the best performing team in this aspect of the race this season, ”lists Lucas, host of the Ferrari Scuderia Fr account.

A work led by Mattia Binotto, appointed team principal in January 2019, but which has long raised doubts among the tifosi of the scuderia.

Like Alain: “I didn't feel it with his nice boy airs and his beautiful haircut.

At the time, Jean Todt was a war general, he was not in a state of mind”.

Despite immense pressure on his shoulders, and a certain mistrust, the trained engineer seems to be on the way to winning his bet.

“I admit that at first I was very skeptical.

But when Ferrari decided to keep it, I thought maybe it was the best option.

He arrived at the same time as Schumacher, he knows the house well, and was able to bring stability at a really difficult time.

He's the one who released the 2019 engine, and even if it wasn't very legal, he knows how to do it, ”considers Charles.

“A good car, good management and good drivers”

Indeed the Ferrari F1-75 is going fast this season, to the point of surpassing its competitors by nearly 15 hp.

But as Alain reminds us, a good car is no longer enough: “To build a high-performance team, you need everything.

A good car, good management and good drivers.

It's a set, and we must recognize that it seems to work this year.

“Good drivers” embodied by the Monegasque Charles Leclerc, who finally has the chance to show all his abilities in a high-performance car.

And Carlos Sainz, a little below at the start of the season, but renowned for his hard work.

It is also in the management of these two egos that some gossips saw the main risk of failure this season.

But Ferrari has just announced the extension of the Spaniard until 2024, exactly like Charles Leclerc.

History to remove the slightest doubt, as was the habit of Scuderia Ferrari in its boom years.

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