With three races to go in the season, Ferrari has decided not to bring any further updates to the SF-24. Frederic Vasseur confirmed that the team is already focused on the 2025 project, leaving Leclerc and Sainz to fight with the current package. With a 36-point gap to McLaren in the Constructors' Championship, the Maranello team faces one last challenge for the top spot, knowing that the battle against Andrea Stella's team will be tight until the end.
Towards 2025: Ferrari closes seasonal updates
With a touch of irony, Vasseur commented on the lack of new updates for the SF-24. “A lot of new parts coming after this weekend!” joked the team principal, before clarifying: “We are now completely focused on next year's project, and have been for months now. Nothing more will come..” The decision to halt development for 2024 reflects the priority that Ferrari is giving to the future, aiming to build a more competitive car for next season. This strategic choice demonstrates how much Ferrari is investing in its long-term prospects, even if the immediate challenge against McLaren remains open.
The objective of the Constructors' title
The Interlagos weekend saw Ferrari lose just two points to McLaren, a result that leaves their hopes of taking first place in the Constructors’ Championship open. Vasseur was pleased with the recent progress: “Overall, the last three races have gone well. I think we are the team that has scored the most points,” he said, underlining the solidity shown by Ferrari. With three races to go, Ferrari will need to take every opportunity to pick up points and hope that the current package is sufficient to compete with a strongly improving McLaren.
Leclerc and the unknown tires for Las Vegas
Las Vegas, the next race on the calendar, represents an important opportunity for Ferrari, but the team will have to optimize its strategy to make the most of the potential of the single-seater. Charles Leclerc expressed optimism about the Las Vegas race, although he highlighted some concerns about tyre management. “Last year in Las Vegas we were very strong,” recalled the Monegasque driver. However, Leclerc stressed that Ferrari had made significant progress in tyre management, especially in cold conditions, an improvement that may not work in favour of the SF-24. “This year we have made a big step forward in tyre management. This means that in colder conditions we are missing something,” explained Leclerc, referring to the problems encountered in Brazil.
Abu Dhabi and Qatar: The Final Challenge
After Las Vegas, Ferrari is set to tackle two tracks with different characteristics but which could still offer opportunities. Vasseur expressed confidence in the performance of the SF-24, believing that the final races will be a real battle for second place in the Constructors’ Championship. “We know that in Las Vegas we will have a better pace than this weekend and we will have to score a lot of points. It will be like this until Abu Dhabi, and it will be a nice fight between the top four teams,” said Vasseur. With McLaren determined to defend their position, Ferrari will have to find the right balance between aggression and strategy to close the gap and score maximum points.
A Close Comparison Between 2022 and 2024
This year, Ferrari has already surpassed its 2022 points tally, a result that reflects the progress made under Vasseur. In 2022, the Maranello team with the F1-75 had shown a promising start before encountering reliability issues and less intense competition. 2024, however, has been characterised by more intense competition, with a much more competitive McLaren and a three-way battle even with Red Bull.
The final showdown against McLaren represents the culmination of the season for the Maranello team. Without new updates, Ferrari will have to rely on every detail of the current package and an impeccable strategy to close 2024 on a high note and launch into a 2025 full of expectations, also with the arrival of Lewis Hamilton.
Source statements: Motorsport.com
