In Last Word On Sport’s series of 2024 F1 Reviews, we will turn to Ferrari, who experienced unexpected highs with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, coupled with some disappointing results.
Ferrari’s 2024 F1 season was their highest-scoring in F1, with 652 points in 2024. However, just like 2023, they just fell short at the final hurdle. While it was Mercedes in 2023, it was McLaren in 2024 who did just enough in their respective battles with the Scuderia.
So near yet so far: Reviewing Ferrari’s 2024 F1 season, and their uptick in performance
Ferrari were already riding high into 2024. After a slow start to 2023, the team in red found a breakthrough with their SF23. Their improved straight-line speed had already fetched victory in Singapore, and several podiums to round out the year.
As such, Ferrari’s 2024 F1 season would be a strong one. With the team finding breakthroughs late in 2023, it would serve as the base for their successor.
Dubbed the SF24, the car had already shown signs of being quick in pre-season testing.
Carlos Sainz’s race simulations on day two displayed just how quick the new Ferrari was over a race distance. When compared to Red Bull’s Sergio Perez over a race distance, Sainz lapped close to a second quicker per lap.
As such, the real Ferrari pace came to the fore on day two.
While race pace and tyre wear had been the Scuderia’s biggest Achilles’ Heel in the past, the omens from pre-season testing painted a starkly different picture.
The SF24 appeared to be quick over one lap, as had Ferrari cars in the past. Although, this Ferrari was a lot kinder to its tyres, and the race pace looked much quicker.
Over the season, it would come to be known that the team had built a great race car.
What followed was their highest tally of points. Five special victories and 22 podium finishes highlighted the leap the team had taken, in comparison to the past few seasons.
Settling in: The opening stages of Ferrari’s 2024 F1 season
The Ferrari pace looked strong right from the outset when the grid took to Bahrain for the opening weekend.
Carlos Sainz topped FP3 on Saturday. Later in qualifying, Charles Leclerc’s fastest Q2 lap of 1:29.165 was marginally quicker than Max Verstappen’s pole time of 1:29.179.
Although he wouldn’t replicate his Q2 effort into Q3, Leclerc managed to secure a front-row starting spot for the race.
Despite a minor brake issue early in the race, Leclerc ensured Ferrari were the second-best team in Bahrain.
Finishing P4 behind his teammate Sainz, the Scuderia bettered their performance in Bahrain from 2023. It was a great start to Ferrari’s 2024 F1 season, despite not winning the race.
Leclerc took another front-row start in Jeddah, losing out to the Red Bulls in the race. Yet, he was able to finish P3. Meanwhile, an appendicitis-affected Sainz withdrew from the weekend, with his stand-in Oliver Bearman scoring a brilliant P7.
Sainz proved his resilience when the grid headed Down Under, taking advantage of Verstappen’s brake issues to spearhead a Ferrari 1-2.
From no points in 2023 to a 1-2 in 2024, it was a brilliant transformation, almost as if Ferrari had turned over a new leaf in 2024.
However, as the season went on, the Scuderia’s newfound strengths opened up a weakness.
While the Italian team had solved their tyre wear troubles, they found it difficult to warm up the tyres. This would come down to hurt them at times in the season, with both drivers qualifying only 6th and 7th in China.
Even still, the Scuderia were able to recover their deficits from qualifying in the race. This was down to their improved pace and smart strategies. A prime example of this was Leclerc climbing up from P7 on the grid to finish fourth in Japan.
READ MORE: Charles Leclerc’s 2024: A Season of Triumphs, Trials, and a Glimpse of Ferrari’s Future
Mid-season blues: How a failed upgrade nearly brought back Ferrari’s F1 nightmares
While Ferrari’s campaign seemed on the up after Leclerc broke his victory duck in Monaco, the Canadian GP brought the team back down to earth with a thud.
The same tyre warm-up issues hurt both drivers in qualifying. For the first time all season, neither Ferrari made it into Q3 and would start 11th and 12th for the race.
The Canadian GP was the only race neither Ferrari scored a point, with both drivers retiring from the race. Leclerc faced engine troubles, while Sainz crashed into Alex Albon at turn 7.
Ferrari introduced a revised floor upgrade at the ensuing Spanish GP. However, the results from this were immediately unsatisfactory. The infamous porpoising phenomenon returned. The SF24 experienced bouncing on the straights.
This led to a poor spell of form until the summer break, as Ferrari attempted to dissect their struggles. The team only finished on the podium once until the summer break, courtesy of Sainz in Austria.
Going early for intermediates in changeable conditions also cost Leclerc in Silverstone, as he dropped out of the points early in the race, before finishing a lap down by the chequered flag, down in 14th.
Leclerc was later promoted to the podium in Belgium after race winner George Russell was disqualified. However, Ferrari had to chalk up solutions, and fast.
Ferrari managed to chalk up some quick fixes for the weekend in Zandvoort. While the car proved extremely slow in qualifying, a combination of strong strategy and good defence by Leclerc earned him an important podium.
The upgrade rush, and Ferrari resurgence in 2024
Heading into the trio of races in Monza, Baku and Singapore, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur spoke of maximising the weekends. The SF24 had strong top-end speed, suiting the layouts of each racetrack.
Ferrari backed up his expectations by introducing a series of performance upgrades at Monza. Aimed to dial out the effects of the failed Barcelona changes, the upgrades were one part of Ferrari’s return to the top step of the podium.
Leclerc’s supreme tyre management and Sainz’s defensive efforts brought Ferrari a special home win at Monza.
The Monegasque also took pole at Baku, before losing out to Piastri in the race. Sainz, meanwhile, crashed on lap 50 while battling Sergio Perez, the result taking away a podium for the Ferrari man. It also allowed Norris to climb up to fourth, giving McLaren an extra two points.
The same tyre warm-up issues came to haunt Ferrari in qualifying at Singapore, but both drivers showed resilience to climb up from 9th and 10th on the grid to finish P5 and P7, behind the Mercedes cars.
Ferrari had also introduced an update to their front wing in Singapore. This update featured a flexible element, similar to that on the McLaren rear wing.
This minor tweak helped the team bring home victories in Austin and Mexico City, with Ferrari clawing back ground to McLaren in the constructors’ standings.
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Ending the season P2, closing down McLaren in the standings
The winning run would be fleeting, though. Low temperatures and rain across the Sao Paulo weekend caused Sainz to crash out, while Leclerc managed only P5 in the race.
The Las Vegas GP saw Ferrari initially struggle with graining and tyre wear. Both Leclerc and Sainz also got entangled in each others’ races. Sainz also had a moment when he cut across the pit lane entry, after being told by the team to stay out.
Nevertheless, both drivers recovered to finish third and fourth, making sure they outscored McLaren by 12 points.
While Ferrari expected a greater haul from Vegas, they had achieved the bare minimum. Their P3 and P4 finishes reduced the gap ahead to McLaren to 24 points with two race weekends to go.
Ferrari headed into Qatar, knowing it was set to be a tough weekend for them. McLaren, as expected, were the quickest team around Qatar in the sprint, taking a one-two, while Ferrari only managed to take 4th and 5th.
Once the track had rubbered in, the Scuderia began to find it tough to unlock pace. Qualifying only 5th and 7th for the main race left them with plenty of work to do, as both McLarens started on the second row.
With McLaren running second and third mid-race, it looked as though they were on their way to sealing the Constructors’ championship. However, a safety car changed things up, allowing Leclerc to jump past Piastri.
Norris, on the other hand, was given a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for speeding under double yellows. This meant he dropped out of the points, before recovering to tenth.
The season finale, and summing up
Ferrari outscoring McLaren meant the championship fight carried on to Abu Dhabi. With 21 points in it, the team in Red faced an uphill task of usurping their rivals, if they wanted to win their first title in 16 years.
Try as they might, though, Ferrari wouldn’t be able to pry the title away from McLaren’s iron grip. The papaya team proved too strong in the finale.
Leclerc qualified only P19, forced to take a grid penalty for a new battery. However, he did give the Woking-based outfit some nerves early on, swiftly moving up into the points, while Piastri dropped off the points.
Although the Scuderia challenge looked potent early on, neither driver could do anything to stop Norris ahead. The Briton duly cruised to victory, ensuring McLaren took home the title.
Despite Ferrari’s best efforts, they ended up 14 points behind their long-time rivals.
All in all, 2024 marked a glorious chapter in their history. It was a very strong campaign for the Scuderia, who had made a genuine step up across the board.
Smart strategy calls ensured they pulled off podium finishes, while they were able to deliver some sensational victories.
While they couldn’t deliver Sainz the dream farewell, the Scuderia ensured they gave it everything until the end.
Their 2024 campaign sets them in high stead for the year to follow. The only goal would be to avoid any mid-season slip-ups, if they are to sustain a consistent championship challenge.
In 2025, they will be bolstered by the arrival of seven-time champ Lewis Hamilton, marking the start of another glorious chapter for the Rosso Corsa.
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