Ferrari face the challenge of overturning a 36-point deficit to McLaren over the next three race weekends. The Brazilian GP was a messy race for the Italian outfit, but team principal Fred Vasseur is confident about the next few races. Ferrari can count on reinforcements, with upgrades arriving to the SF-24.
Ferrari remain optimistic for final rounds
Amidst all the surprises in F1 this season, Fred Vasseur’s confidence in Ferrari has been constant.
Even during the Scuderia’s difficult mid-season spell, the French team principal was adamant that upgrades would rectify the situation. He expressed a similar optimism about the team’s trajectory for 2025.
Although last weekend’s result at Interlagos was far from ideal for Ferrari (Leclerc P5, Sainz DNF), they are still in contention for the constructors title.
Their pace in COTA and Mexico was still exceptional, with the Brazilian GP’s wet conditions posing the biggest problem to the SF-24.
It is easy to forget that Leclerc was fighting with Verstappen and the McLaren duo in the Saturday Sprint – albeit with some difficulty.
Looking ahead to the final sequence of rounds, Ferrari have reason to be optimistic. Leclerc was within touching distance of victory in Las Vegas last season, and the US circuit should suit the SF-24’s characteristics well in two weeks.
Ferrari target strong end to the year
Fred Vasseur touched on this issue last weekend:
“We had to make some choices that didn’t go in our direction,” he told Sky Italy after Brazil.
“It’s a shame for Sainz, but the weekend wasn’t a disaster in terms of constructors.
“In Las Vegas we’ll have a better pace and we’ll have to collect as many points as possible.”
Additionally, the Maranello-based team are preparing a final set of upgrades for the pen-ultimate round of the season in Qatar.
These updates will be a continuation of the package introduced in Monza – which established a baseline for Ferrari to build upon.
The team are confident about their development direction, given their latest modifications correlated well with the wind tunnel data.
As McLaren lick their wounds from a knock-out blow in the drivers’ standings, Ferrari have a real chance to secure the drivers’ crown.
