5 times Ferrari pulled off strategic masterclass in last decade × Follow Us Create Notifications New User posted their first comment this is comment text Link Approve Reject & ban Delete Log in Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Gaming Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout Formula 1 Listicle 5 times Ferrari pulled off strategic masterclass in last decade By Charanjot Singh Modified 05 Aug 2022 Follow Us Comment Share Ferrari pulled off a masterstroke to help Sebastian Vettel win in the 2018 F1 Australian GP Ferrari have earned notoriety this season in terms of its strategic acumen. The team has struggled to perform at the kind of level that separates contenders from title winners, which has been amply evident. Even in the last race before the summer break, Ferrari messed up their strategy in the Hungarian GP, where they gifted the win to Max Verstappen and Red Bull. This season, there have been far too many instances of the Italian team messing up even the basics in terms of strategy. However, what would be your reaction if we told you this has not always been the case. What if we told you there have been times in the last decade or so where Ferrari have won races primarily because they didn't panic and made the best decisions in crucial situations? Instances of Ferrari s recent strategic brilliance Here's a look at the five times when the Italian team put on a strategic masterclass to win races: #1 2018 F1 Australian GP Australian F1 Grand Prix F1 Australian Grand Prix@ausgrandprixSebastian Vettel wins the 2018 #AusGP!206112Sebastian Vettel wins the 2018 #AusGP! https://t.co/e49j7vSJzF In the current F1 ecosystem, if there are two drivers of the same team fighting against one driver of the other team, it's common for the first team to extend the stint of one driver while attacking the undercut with the second driver. In 2018, that wasn't common, and such kind of strategic acumen was not often on display. At the Australian GP that year, Lewis Hamilton started on pole with Kimi Raikkonen in second place ahead of Sebastian Vettel in third. There wasn't much action at the start of the race, as Hamilton led the race from the start while the two Ferraris followed him. When it was time to pit, Ferrari triggered the undercut with Kimi Raikkonen and pitted him first. Mercedes responded to that and pitted Hamilton to cover off Raikkonen. Amidst all that, Vettel was left out as he continued to run a strong pace. Within a few laps as Hamilton was starting to cut Vettel's lead, an ill-timed safety car ruined things for Mercedes. Vettel got an almost free pitstop as he was able to change tyres and come out ahead of Hamilton. Once he had the track position, Vettel did not relent, holding of Hamilton to pick up the win. The win was entirely down to Hamilton being forced to pit early while Vettel took advantage of the safety car. #2 2017 F1 Bahrain GP F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain The 2017 Bahrain GP was a race that showed a completely different side of Ferrari compared to what has been evident this season. Vettel had a strong car compared to Mercedes but one of the biggest disadvantages was the top speed Mercedes enjoyed. Vettel was stuck behind Bottas, with Hamilton right behind him. While the German had the speed even with DRS he could not make a move on the Mercedes driver. Ferrari then went ultra-aggressive, pitting Vettel on lap 9 . That was an aggressive move by the team, and everything could have gone pear-shaped had the move had not worked. Formula 1@F1BREAKING: Sebastian Vettel wins the #BahrainGP for @ScuderiaFerrari!39073280BREAKING: Sebastian Vettel wins the #BahrainGP for @ScuderiaFerrari! https://t.co/uZcb7MGbv5 Fortunately, the plan worked, and Vettel used the clean air provided to him from the track position and never looked back to win the race. This was a confident and bold outlook that worked like a charm for the Italian team. #3 2015 F1 Malaysian GP F1 Grand Prix of Malaysia This was the second race of Vettel's Ferrari career, and no one would have thought it would turn out this way. This was just the second year of the Turbo Hybrid era, and Mercedes were almost untouchable. However, Vettel pulled of a lap out of nowhere to qualify in P2 in wet weather conditions in qualifying. On raceday, though, the temperature soared - so much so that Mercedes, the car that produced the maximum downforce in the entire grid - were worried about degradation of their medium tyres. Formula 1@F1BREAKING: Sebastian Vettel WINS the 2015 Malaysia Grand Prix; Hamilton 2nd; Rosberg 3rd #MalaysiaGP #F1inMalaysia http://t.co/diAFms5KQ214712692BREAKING: Sebastian Vettel WINS the 2015 Malaysia Grand Prix; Hamilton 2nd; Rosberg 3rd #MalaysiaGP #F1inMalaysia http://t.co/diAFms5KQ2 As soon as the race started, Vettel kept Hamilton in his sights. After the first couple of laps, an incident led to the introduction of safety car, which neutralised everything. Mercedes jumped at the opportunity to pit Hamilton, while Ferrari opted to let Vettel run in free air. Vettel ran at the front, managed his tyres, and with a calm strategy employed by the team, the German won the race. #4 2012 F1 Malaysian GP The 2012 Malaysian GP saw Fernando Alonso get the accolades for putting together one of the best drives in a car that should have been nowhere close to a podium. The rain at Sepand that weekend complicated things for everyone. Formula 1@F1MALAYSIA 2012 @alo_oficial holds off @SChecoPerez in the wet Want to watch it in full online?Twitter vote coming up 1181368MALAYSIA 2012 @alo_oficial holds off @SChecoPerez in the wet Want to watch it in full online?Twitter vote coming up https://t.co/7XE2IhkSrI However, the Ferrari-Fernando Alonso combination worked wonders - picking the right time to switch to intermediates and then switch back to slicks - as the team helped Alonso pick up an unlikely win. #5 2010 F1 Italian GP F1 Italian Grand Prix - Race Ferrari's strategic masterclass at Monza in 2010 does not get the kind of recognition it deserves. From the outside, it appeared it was just Alonso using the overcut to jump Jenson Button on the track to win the race. However, things weren't that simple. Formula 1@F1He’s made more than 300 starts but these are the four races that mean the most to @alo_oficialAs the Spaniard prepares for his farewell this Sunday, we’d like you to choose your favourite Fernando moment from the selection below 2545768He’s made more than 300 starts but these are the four races that mean the most to @alo_oficialAs the Spaniard prepares for his farewell this Sunday, we’d like you to choose your favourite Fernando moment from the selection below In 2010, there was no DRS. Even though there are long straights in Monza, it has never been one of the easiest tracks to overtake. Ferrari had to make a decision - go for the undercut by pitting first and try to jump Button with a faster outlap, or go for the overcut, allow Button to pit first and have Alonso eke out a lap fast enough to jump the British driver. The entire race, a 14-point swing depended on that decision. Eventually, Ferrari opted for the overcut. Alonso was told to save his tyres behind the McLaren driver and push when Button pitted. The Spaniard did just that and picked up an emotional win in front of the Tifosi. It's sad to see how the mighty have fallen, but it's also a nice reminder that things can turn around once again. What's your favorite race of the 2022 season so far? Tell us in the comments below.. Poll : 0 votes Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Edited by Bhargav × Feedback Thank You! Be the first one to comment Follow Us Share Show More Comments GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? 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