Mysterious theory about Ferrari’s fuel has now emerged, and it may explain why Lewis Hamilton is struggling

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Ferrari must have been bitterly disappointed to collect just 12 points from the British Grand Prix weekend. They’d started so well that their fans were finally beginning to get excited.

Ferrari topped three of the first five competitive sessions during the weekend – Lewis Hamilton led FP1 and Q2, while Charles Leclerc was quickest in FP3. The car, upgraded in Austria seven days earlier, looked like a genuine contender.

But the records will show a third-row lock-out, followed by a P4 and a P14. Hamilton couldn’t catch Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg for the final podium spot, and Leclerc had one of his worst-ever races.

Ferrari were still the second-highest scorers among the top-four teams as Mercedes and Red Bull experienced issues of their own. But McLaren’s latest one-two opens the gap to a sobering 238 points.

Do Ferrari have a fuel pump issue affecting Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in Q3?

Speaking on her YouTube channel, journalist Julianne Cerasoli says Ferrari’s recent floor updates have exceeded expectations. But Fred Vasseur’s team are still lacking the performance they need at the decisive moments.

Hamilton made a costly mistake in the final sector during British GP qualifying, while Leclerc launched an explicit, self-deprecating rant over the radio. But generally, the drivers haven’t been the problem.

Ferrari have only had three front-row starts in the first 12 Grands Prix. This has prompted investigations into their Q3 underperformance, which may go beyond the simple limitations of the car.

Intriguingly, Cerasoli alluded to a potential fuel-pump issue. It’s just a theory for now – and one that requires fleshing out – but it could be one explanation.

“The update in Austria has already improved the car a lot, much more than they expected,” she said. “In free practice at Silverstone, they were doing well, and it was real [pace], they weren’t hiding anything.

“After Q1, Q2 also went very well, and it seemed like Ferrari were finally going to fight for a pole position. In Q3, they couldn’t get the most out of the car.

“Some theories… I won’t go into them here because they’re still theories. I’m going to try and find out more about this thing about the fuel pump. There are theories about why Ferrari can’t do so well at the end of qualifying.”

Lewis Hamilton might have overestimated just how much Ferrari were going to do for him

Ferrari’s rear-suspension upgrade should make them a tenth faster over a single lap. That’s assuming there are no other gremlins in the car that inhibit qualifying performance.

Hamilton has improved at the individual level lately, even if he’s still not at his best. He’s been among the top six in each of the last 10 sessions, showing commendable consistency.

According to Ralf Schumacher, Hamilton has realised that he must adapt to the car, rather than the other way around. He may have joined the team under the assumption that they would build around his preferences.

At the age of 40, it will be difficult for him to alter his driving style. But it could determine whether or not he wins at Maranello.