- As the most renowned team in F1 history, Ferrari consistently faces immense pressure to perform at the highest level every season. While they’ve made progress compared to last year, 2024 has been a rollercoaster for the Scuderia, with moments of triumph and setbacks alike, ranging from commanding race victories to internal team battles. Here’s a mid-season assessment of the iconic team:
Best Finish
Carlos Sainz – 1st in Australia; Charles Leclerc – 1st in Monaco
Ferrari has showcased flashes of brilliance this year, securing two race wins early in the season in Australia and Monaco. Despite being Red Bull’s closest rival in the opening races, having just two victories might seem underwhelming, especially in a year where the competition is more open than ever.
On the bright side, those wins were remarkable; Sainz achieved the first non-Red Bull victory of the season, while Leclerc finally broke his Monaco home curse.
At the Australian Grand Prix, Sainz capitalized on Max Verstappen’s early technical issues, building a solid lead to secure the third victory of his career, finishing ahead of his teammate.
Leclerc’s win in Monaco was even more gratifying, ending a streak of bad luck that had plagued him annually on his home track. It was a classic Ferrari triumph: tifosi shedding tears of joy, a sea of red, and a moment destined for the history books.
Qualifying Head-to-Head
Leclerc 8-5 Sainz
Leclerc has managed to outqualify Sainz in eight out of thirteen races so far.
The Monegasque driver has continued to refine his impressive one-lap pace this season, securing two pole positions, including a surprising one in Belgium, aided by Verstappen’s grid penalty.
However, some qualifying sessions have been disappointing for Ferrari, particularly in Canada, where both drivers failed to advance past Q2, just one race after their Monaco success.
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Race Head-to-Head
Leclerc 7-5 Sainz
The competition between the two Ferrari drivers has been close this season, with both demonstrating their ability to finish on the podium when strategy permits. Sainz started the season strong, earning three podium finishes in the first three races, leaving him wondering what might have been if appendicitis hadn’t sidelined him for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
However, as McLaren surged, Ferrari’s pace faltered, forcing Sainz and Leclerc to fight for lower points finishes. Since Leclerc’s victory in Monaco, each has secured just one more podium, with Leclerc narrowly edging out his teammate.
Best Moment
What’s better than winning two races? Perhaps winning more, but for Sainz, returning to the front of the pack just weeks after surgery was a remarkable achievement. This was especially true as he repeated his feat from 2023 of being the only non-Red Bull winner – a title that didn’t last long but was sweet while it did.
Similarly, Leclerc’s long-awaited victory at home in Monaco was as perfect as he could have imagined; he took pole position, led every lap, and celebrated by diving into the Monte Carlo marina.
Worst Moment
The Spanish Grand Prix was particularly rough for Ferrari. On the surface, finishing fifth and sixth might not seem terrible, but the race was marred by internal conflict.
As Leclerc conserved his tires early in the race, Sainz squeezed past him on Lap 3, briefly making contact and running off-track before taking P5. The aggressive move could have paid off, as Sainz came close to passing both Mercedes at different points during the race.
However, strategy missteps cost him more points, and team orders eventually led to Leclerc reclaiming P5. Neither driver was happy – their early clash, finishing over 20 seconds behind the winner, and ineffective split strategies made for a challenging weekend.
- Looking Forward
F1 is having one of its most competitive seasons in years, where the tiniest margins can determine the winner on any given weekend. Unfortunately for Ferrari, they often find themselves on the wrong side of those margins, which could impact their final standing in the constructors’ championship.
With two exceptionally talented drivers and a respected leader in Fred Vasseur, Ferrari has the potential to follow in the footsteps of Mercedes and McLaren, who have capitalized on Red Bull’s recent dip in form.
They ended the first half of the season on a relative high, with Leclerc inheriting a podium finish after George Russell’s disqualification in Belgium. However, considering that Leclerc started on pole, their result could have been even better.
Despite this, Ferrari is only 21 points behind McLaren and has a comfortable lead over Mercedes in fourth place. While many believe McLaren could challenge Red Bull for the constructors’ crown, few are saying the same about Ferrari.
Further upgrades to address their high-speed struggles would be ideal for reducing their performance deficit. Leclerc has called for these to be implemented “as soon as possible.” With Vasseur confident that the upcoming races in Monza, Baku, and Singapore could yield strong results, Ferrari can aim to keep pace with their rivals and perhaps even target that P2 spot in the championship… or maybe more.
