Very like McLaren, the workforce that in the end defeated it, Scuderia Ferrari has made vital strides over the previous 18 months. Nevertheless, regardless of a spirited marketing campaign that saved its hopes alive till the ultimate phases, the Italian workforce sadly narrowly missed out on claiming the 2024 constructors’ championship after an intense battle in opposition to McLaren which went on till the ultimate lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on the 5.281-kilometre Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island final weekend.
Ferrari had emerged as the only challenger to Purple Bull’s dominance within the 2023 System 1 marketing campaign, with Carlos Sainz executing a masterful technique to safe a memorable victory in Singapore. Nevertheless, the Maranello workforce’s battle to bridge the hole between its spectacular one-lap tempo and inconsistent race-day efficiency left doubts about its readiness to contend absolutely in 2024, significantly relating to its ongoing battles with tyre overheating.
To Ferrari’s credit score, the 2024 System 1 season started with a promising efficiency. The Italian aspect discovered itself aggressive from the outset, although nonetheless trailing Purple Bull by way of outright velocity. What Ferrari couldn’t foresee, nevertheless, was the meteoric rise of the workforce led by Andrea Stella, a former Ferrari race engineer. Beginning the season off the tempo, McLaren unleashed a exceptional growth surge from Might’s Miami Grand Prix onward, vaulting itself into competition and ultimately surpassing Ferrari within the standings.
Regardless of a decided late-season push by Ferrari, 4 pivotal moments in the end left the Maranello workforce with an insurmountable deficit, dooming its title aspirations.
To start with, the catastrophic double retirement on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve: Ferrari’s season suffered a extreme blow in Canada with its first double retirement in two years, marking a disastrous weekend riddled with numerous setbacks. The qualifying proved a nightmare, as each Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz didn’t progress past Q2, unable to enhance their instances on growing older smooth tyres. Ranging from eleventh and twelfth, the weekend’s troubles have been solely starting.
The race unfolded into calamity. Charles Leclerc was pressured to retire after encountering {an electrical} fault together with his energy unit, whereas Carlos Sainz misplaced management within the moist and collided with Alex Albon’s Williams, ending each drivers’ races. Staff principal Fred Vasseur summed up the frustration bluntly, stating that Ferrari had confronted “all the problems on this planet” throughout their ill-fated journey to Montreal.
A misguided ground replace then ship Ferrari right into a growth tailspin. After the double setback in Canada, Ferrari seemed to rebound through the triple-header at Barcelona, Spielberg, and Silverstone. Nevertheless, the introduction of a brand new ground design on the Circuit de Catalunya for the Spanish Grand Prix proved disastrous. Somewhat than boosting efficiency, the aerodynamic replace designed by the workforce led at that second by former Ferrari technical director Enrico Cardile exacerbated bouncing points in high-speed corners, compromising the SF24 automobile’s steadiness and derailing its general tempo.
This flaw despatched Ferrari spiraling right into a prolonged troubleshooting course of to ensure that the Maranello technicians and engineers to determine the basis trigger. Resolving the difficulty demanded back-to-back testing periods on the Silverstone circuit and compelled the workforce to compromise race setups, which led to different precious factors being misplaced. As McLaren surged forward with flawless execution and fast developments, Ferrari discovered itself dropping precious floor.
A quick reprieve got here in Austria when Lando Norris retired after a collision with Max Verstappen, permitting Ferrari to salvage some factors. Charles Leclerc’s podium in Belgium, the workforce’s first in 5 races, supplied a glimmer of hope. It confirmed that whereas Ferrari was struggling, it was removed from defeated. By the later phases of the 2024 System 1 season, the workforce lastly appeared to have addressed the bouncing concern, restoring competitiveness.
After Charles Leclerc’s emotional victory on the Monza circuit in entrance of the Tifosi, Ferrari’s journey to the Baku Metropolis circuit Azerbaijan highlighted the workforce’s ongoing strengths and weaknesses. Whereas questions lingered about its efficiency on high-downforce circuits, the Ferrari SF-24 automobile remained formidable on tracks favoring traction and high velocity. In Baku, Charles Leclerc mounted a robust problem however in the end completed second to Oscar Piastri, who drove a faultless race for McLaren.
In the meantime, Carlos Sainz appeared poised to claw again a podium end till a dramatic late-race conflict with Sergio Perez despatched each automobiles into the wall. The incident robbed Ferrari of 15 essential factors and allowed Lando Norris to choose up further factors for McLaren, compounding the harm to Ferrari’s marketing campaign. The missed podium was a bitter tablet to swallow in a season the place each level was pivotal.
Then there was Singapore, a promising weekend derailed by qualifying woes. Ferrari entered the Singapore Grand Prix as favorites, with the Marina Bay circuit’s traction-heavy format enjoying to the strengths of the SF-24. It was a venue that had delivered the workforce’s solely win of 2023, and expectations have been excessive. Nevertheless, these hopes took a extreme hit throughout qualifying. Carlos Sainz crashed in Q3, whereas Charles Leclerc didn’t set a aggressive lap time, relegating each drivers to the fifth row on the grid.
On a circuit infamous for restricted overtaking alternatives, Ferrari due to this fact confronted an uphill battle. Regardless of this, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz delivered commendable performances to complete fifth and seventh, respectively. Nevertheless, their efforts paled compared to McLaren’s dominant displaying, with Lando Norris securing a commanding victory. Whereas Ferrari managed to restrict the harm, the weekend underscored the Maranello workforce’s struggles to capitalize on its potential when it mattered most.
The setbacks, compounded by Carlos Sainz’s crash within the moist circumstances of Brazil, in the end left Ferrari with an insurmountable problem to overhaul McLaren, regardless of the Scuderia’s spectacular type within the closing phases of the championship. The workforce additionally struggled in Las Vegas, the place Mercedes delivered an unexpectedly dominant efficiency. That race marked a transparent missed alternative for the Italian aspect, as Ferrari arguably ought to have led the championship by then to take care of a sensible shot on the title, particularly given McLaren’s superior tempo within the closing rounds of the 2024 System 1 season, particularly in Qatar.
Nevertheless, the title race tightened unexpectedly attributable to setbacks for McLaren drivers within the closing rounds. In Qatar, Lando Norris confronted unexpected difficulties, whereas in Abu Dhabi, Oscar Piastri’s lack of ability to attain greater than a single level, ending tenth, left McLaren susceptible. It set the stage for a dramatic conclusion the place only a daring transfer from Carlos Sainz to take victory from Lando Norris might have flipped the championship fully in Ferrari’s favor.
For workforce principal Frederic Vasseur, such hypotheticals will maintain little worth, because the French supervisor has repeatedly said his disdain for dwelling on “ifs” and “buts.” But, whereas Ferrari may replicate on what may need been, its 2024 season additionally stands out for its many achievements. These embrace a triumphant residence victory at Monza, the stellar performances of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz of their closing season as teammates, and the workforce’s capacity to get better from a mid-season growth setback. Regardless of falling in need of the constructors’ title, Ferrari’s journey in 2024 was considered one of resilience and renewed competitiveness, providing hope for the seasons forward.
Frederic Vasseur expressed satisfaction with the workforce’s achievements and progress through the 2024 System 1 season, highlighting their enhancements and resilience in overcoming challenges. Nevertheless, he admitted to feeling disenchanted at coming so near successful the title, as solely 14 factors ultimately separated Ferrari from a sensational world championship win, leaving the Maranello workforce and the followers to surprise what might have been. Reflecting on the 2024 System 1 season, Frederic Vasseur famous the setbacks in Canada, points with the aerodynamic replace launched on the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, and the accidents in Singapore and Baku, however on the identical time he emphasised that on every event the workforce rebounded stronger, which he thought to be a promising signal for the long run.
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