Charles Leclerc was only a tenth away from Pole Position in Monza. However, the top teams are so evenly matched that a 0.134 deficit relegated Leclerc to fourth place. Although Ferrari have unlocked some performance with their latest upgrades, the SF-24 continues to display some unfavourable characteristics.
Charles Leclerc limited by persistent SF-24 weakness
Leclerc plagued by understeer
The battle for Pole Position in Monza was between Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes.
Excluding Pole-sitter Lando Norris, the other front-runners are all immensely frustrated with their qualifying sessions. Lewis Hamilton believes that mistakes in Q3 cost him a P1 grid slot, whilst Leclerc has identified a consistent limitation on the SF-24.
At a circuit like Monza with relatively few corners, set-up is not necessarily as complex compared to other circuits. Despite this, Leclerc was extremely unhappy with the balance of his car.
Ferrari are still learning about the updated SF-24, which needs to be further optimised.
Speaking after yesterday’s qualifying, the Ferrari driver explained that understeer plagued him throughout the session:
“Yeah, disappointed. Yesterday, it seemed like it was a positive day, today quite a bit less. P4 was the best we could do, but frustrating.
“I don’t like fighting for these kinds of positions. We are very close to first place, on the contrary of last weekend, which is a good step forward.
“However, it’s not enough. So I really hope that tomorrow we can turn the situation around.
“I mean, [in turns] 1, 2, 4, 5, I’ve had so much understeer all weekend… That’s where we paid the price.”
Another step forward needed
Of course, one qualifying session is not enough to definitively judge the effectiveness of an upgrade package. Ferrari will need a few more races to analyse the effectiveness of the SF-24’s newest iteration.
The initial signs are encouraging, at least when focusing on the margin to Pole Position. Leclerc and Sainz’s long runs were also reasonably competitive, certainly enough to put them in the podium battle on race day.
For Ferrari, the biggest concern is undoubtedly the pace shown by McLaren. The Monza track layout is not necessarily well-suited to the MCL38, so for Norris and Piastri to qualify in 1-2 is ominous for the remainder of 2024.
Even Mercedes, whose qualifying positions were relatively uninspiring, were within touching distance of Pole. More upgrades are still in the pipeline for the W15, meaning another step forward is realistic in the coming weeks.
Moreover, even without updates, Lewis Hamilton’s ideal sector times suggest the car had more potential. Ferrari were also beaten by George Russell yesterday despite the 26-year-old’s very limited running.
Overall, Ferrari still needs to unlock more performance. Leclerc and Sainz are undoubtedly in the mix, but the Scuderia’s rivals are in constant evolution.
McLaren and Mercedes continue to improve, even if Red Bull’s decline gives the Italian squad a chance to climb in the constructors’ standings.
Moving forward, Fred Vasseur must ensure that progress in Maranello is continuous until the end of 2024.
There is also the issue of making the SF-24 more drivable, generating more usable downforce for the drivers to exploit.
Assuming that Ferrari can maintain an upward trajectory, they can put themselves in a strong position for the rest of this season and, just as crucially – the 2025 campaign.
