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With 14 races down in 2024, Ferrari are one of three teams who have won a grand prix with both of their drivers.
The Scuderia were pipped to the runners-up place in last year’s World Constructors’ Standings by Mercedes. Going into the season finale, the Maranello-based outfit trailed the Silver Arrows by only four points. However, they were unable to overturn this deficit, losing out on an estimated £8 million in prize money.
Despite this, there were some positives for Ferrari in 2023. The 16-time Constructors’ Champions were the only team to stop Red Bull from winning a grand prix that season. Carlos Sainz claimed victory on the streets of Singapore, the only non-Red Bull winner of 2023. Alongside this, the team claimed seven pole positions and nine podium finishes last season, only inferior to Red Bull in both metrics.
Reviewing their 2024 campaign thus far, Ferrari will have mixed emotions. While there have been several positives, there is certainly room for improvement which has become apparent in recent races.
Scintillating start
Although no one could get anywhere near Red Bull in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Ferrari was the first team to break their winning streak. Sainz took the race lead on lap two in Melbourne. The Spaniard beat Charles Leclerc to the chequered flag at the Australian Grand Prix. Thus, the Scuderia picked up their first 1-2 finish since March 2022.
The team’s second and most recent win of 2024 came in Monaco. They delivered one of the season’s highlights so far. After falling agonisingly short on multiple previous occasions, Leclerc finally won his home race at the billionaire’s playground. The Monegasque driver pipped McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to pole position in Qualifying. He pulled away from the Australian on race day to pick up his sixth Formula 1 victory.
Let the celebrations begin ?#F1 #MonacoGP @Charles_Leclerc pic.twitter.com/0EhVL8QcLF
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 26, 2024
Perhaps Ferrari’s greatest strength thus far in 2024 has been their qualifying performances. Despite only qualifying on pole twice after 14 races, compared to six times in the whole of last year’s campaign, both Leclerc and Sainz have been competitive in every Saturday session this year.
Unlike last season, Ferrari is still in contention for the Constructors’ Championship in 2024. The Italian team is currently 63 points behind championship leaders, Red Bull. The leaders have suffered in recent races due to Sergio Perez’s poor form and Max Verstappen facing increased competition.
Beginning to falter?
After a promising start to the year, picking up 212 points in the first seven races, Ferrari hit a lull in the following seven, earning just 133. Compared to their direct rivals, this was the lowest total in that period. It meant that they lost significant ground to both McLaren and Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship.
Perhaps the biggest reason for their failure to compete as of late has been their disappointing race pace. Despite promising qualifying performances in Spa, Spielberg, and Budapest, Ferrari has often failed to deliver on a Sunday. This has seen them fail to keep up with the improvement of their nearest competitors, who have all made gains on race day.
Alongside this, they have continued to be architects of their own downfall through questionable strategy decisions. Most notably in Montreal, where Leclerc was put onto dry tyres despite the wet track. Ferrari showed what could be the difference between them challenging the likes of Red Bull and McLaren at the top or being dragged towards Mercedes in fourth place.
Has Ferrari been fortunate?
Ferrari has claimed race wins with both drivers in 2024, something that can not be boasted by championship leaders, Red Bull. However, it could be argued that Ferrari has been somewhat fortunate in that regard.
While they did not come under any sufficient threat in Melbourne, their bid for race victory was monumentally assisted by Verstappen’s retirement. The reigning champion retired on lap five due to an issue with his right rear brake. The Dutch driver had qualified on pole down under and, until the beginning of the race, looked extremely likely to continue his ruthless streak.
LAP 39/59
Max Verstappen is OUT of the race!!! ❌
He's had to retire the car after being asked by his engineer to stop at Turn 2#AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/hLz41lNaLf
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 10, 2022
In Monaco, Leclerc beat the competition to start the race at the front on the grid. However, he was not challenged at any point through the windy Principality streets. While this was a positive for the team on both occasions, they have since failed to deal with the competition that has come their way.
After starting on pole in Spa, Leclerc was passed by both Lewis Hamilton and Piastri during the race, falling to fourth place and only being promoted to the podium due to George Russell’s disqualification.
Goals after the break?
Following the summer break, Ferrari will certainly be looking to recapture their early season form. While their competitors have improved, the Italian outfit has somewhat regressed, leading to them slipping down the standings. If they can reverse this in the final ten races, they are more than capable of catching both McLaren and Red Bull.
In the process, the Scuderia will also want to keep Mercedes at arm’s length. Since the Silver Arrows introduced their latest upgrades, they have been catching the leading pack at a rate of knots. Their improvement could likely continue towards the end of the season. Like the German team, Ferrari will be looking to hit form at just the right time to extract the maximum amount of prize money and potentially win their first championship since 2008.
Max and Red Bull lead the way going into the summer break
A reminder of how things stand ?#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/JDxphW3TaG
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 29, 2024
Feature Image Credit: (Photo by Michael Potts/BSR Agency/Getty Images)