Their starts have been their biggest advantage in the new Formula 1 season, but the rest of the grid is not happy.
Ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, Ferrari found an edge in Formula 1’s updated start procedures, optimising their car to handle the new power delivery and launch phase better than their rivals.
While others struggled off the line, Ferrari executed clean, consistent starts, and now, instead of catching up, competitors are pushing for rule changes.
Rant Sport’s Noah Ngcobo discusses the Scuderia’s hot starts and the hypocrisy from other constructors.
You don’t get to complain after the lights go out
There’s something deeply predictable about F1. Not the racing, not the drama, but the politics. Because the second one team gets it right, everyone else suddenly wants a rewrite.
This time it’s Ferrari in the firing line. After nailing the new start procedures ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, they’ve gone from being praised for smart engineering to being accused of playing unfairly.
Cue George Russell calling them “selfish” and “a little bit silly.”
Selfish? For what exactly, understanding the rules?
Because here’s the part people keep glossing over, Ferrari didn’t stumble into this advantage. They saw the regulation changes coming, raised concerns early, and then did what every team is supposed to do.
Adapt. Build. Execute.
And now that it’s working, it’s a problem?
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Ferrari are right
Team boss Frédéric Vasseur said it best: “Enough is enough.”
Not because Ferrari are being defensive, but because this is exactly how F1 starts to lose its edge. If every time a team finds performance within the rules, the rules get tweaked, then what’s the point of innovation?
What are teams actually competing for, if not this?
Yes, the starts look uneven. Yes, some teams are struggling more than others.
That’s not a flaw in the sport; that’s the sport working as intended. Someone gets it right first. Others catch up.
That’s the game.
And let’s be honest, if the roles were reversed, if Mercedes had nailed this and Ferrari were lagging behind, there’s no way we’d be having this conversation with the same energy.
We’d be calling it dominance. Precision. Excellence.
So why is it suddenly “unfair” when it’s Ferrari?
This isn’t about safety, not really. It’s about discomfort. It’s about teams realising they’ve missed something and wanting a second chance.
But Formula 1 doesn’t work like that. Or at least, it shouldn’t.
Ferrari played by the rules. They did the work. They got the reward.
You don’t get to move the goalposts just because you’re losing off the line.
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