2024 F1 Miami GP review: Ferrari settles for podium due to EOSS and Safety Car

There is a sense of fulfillment in the victory that Lando Norris achieved in the 2024 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. At twenty-four years old, the talented British driver, recruited in 2017 by McLaren’s ‘Young Driver’ program, had amassed records that can be interpreted in two ways. Becoming the driver with the most podiums and points without ever winning a Grand Prix means being a high-level driver but not a winner.

Lando Norris had come close to success on several occasions, the most notable being in Russia in 2021 when, four laps from the end, he chose to continue with dry tires, hoping that the few drops of rain wouldn’t turn into a downpour. It didn’t go well. Two weeks earlier, he had stepped onto the second step of the podium in Monza, celebrating the success of his then-teammate Daniel Ricciardo.

In terms of the haul, Ferrari’s outing in the Miami Grand Prix is certainly not negative. The safety car didn’t help Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, but there was consistency in the race. Now the focus shifts to Imola, where the SF-24 will be in a revised form, bringing it up to par with direct competitors. What McLaren achieved in Miami gives hope for something different than the anticipated Red Bull dominance we are used to. Let it be clear, we are not talking about world titles but competitive races, perhaps with some surprises that credit the work of other drivers and teams. As happened today in Miami.

Now let’s focus on how events unfolded for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz the Miami International Autodrome in Florida based on the onboard footage from the two Ferrari SF-24 cars:

The Ferrari single-seaters are ready on the starting grid. In the half-hour available to test the latest small modifications to the downforce installed on the front axle, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc tried different warm-up strategies, conducting start tests and trials on hybrid system configurations. At this moment, the final strategies for the start are being defined, keeping in mind the various scenarios hypothesized in the briefings depending on the quality of the clutch release. With just over two minutes left until the formation lap, radio communications intensify, with the usual indications regarding the start phases.

At the last moment, Carlos Sainz requests and obtains an extra load point on the front axle. Both red cars have a set of brand new Pirelli Medium tires. Everything is ready, the traffic light turns green, and the 20 cars launch into the installation lap. The two red cars have tried to maximize tire activation and are ready to unleash themselves. The start of Charles Leclerc isn’t great, so much so that Carlos Sainz is alongside him. However, Sergio Perez overshoots the corner, and the Spaniard is forced to lift off to avoid the Mexican. Dazed, Carlos Sainz is passed by Piastri in the first corner.

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As expected, Max Verstappen tries to pull away during the opening laps, aiming to build a safety margin to manage the first stint better. The Australian McLaren driver is very fast, so Ferrari engineer Xavier Marcos Padros suggests advancing the use of K1 Plus overboost to Charles Leclerc. Nevertheless, the straight-line speed with the DRS open on the MCL38 is really good, and Oscar Piastri manages to pass Charles Leclerc. All of this benefits the Dutchman, who gradually creates space between himself and the rest of the opponents. Things don’t change in the following laps. Although the Monegasque keeps up with the Australian, he fails to get closer.

End of straight speed is missing, in short, to attempt an attack and regain the second position. In the first sector of the Miami track, the Monegasque driver cannot stay close enough with his Ferrari to then reach the first zone where he can open the mobile wing and fulfill his desire. Behind, Carlos Sainz is watching for now, keeping an eye on the rearview mirrors where Sergio Perez is closely following. The positive news concerns Max Verstappen’s pace. Ten laps into the race, the three-time world champion cannot pull away much, with an advantage of only 2.5s. Ferrari starts discussing tires.

On car number 16’s radio, Plan B is suggested, reminding the Ferrari drivers that the amount of energy injected into the tires is correct, and the degradation is in line with the expected value before the race. Five laps later, Charles Leclerc tries to get closer, but the excellent traction of the MCL38 prevents him from making the passing move. Xavier Marcos Padros attempts a surprise move, trying to deceive the opponents via radio with a fake call to the pits. The stalemate continues, thanks also to the drag reduction system train formed by Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez. For this reason, Carlos Sainz decides to create some space, as does Checo, in order to avoid destroying the tires.

The hybrid system of the McLaren is set very well, as it provides a lot of energy on the long high-speed stretch of the second sector, allowing it to defend excellently and prevent the Ferrari driver from closing in. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez decides to pit: the RB20 switches to the Hards but finds itself in heavy traffic, in eleventh position, behind Esteban Ocon. We will see if this move pays off in the overall tally of the Grand Prix. A lap later, Charles Leclerc enters the pits to attempt the undercut on Oscar Piastri. The tire change operation is very quick. With the Hards, the out lap would be critical for Xavi, but the Ferrari driver seems to manage it excellently.

Car number 16 returns to the track in sixth position behind Lewis Hamilton. His future teammate doesn’t last long, as the Monegasque overtakes him on the outside of turn 11 with a great maneuver aboard his Ferrari. Marcos compliments him and meanwhile reminds to preserve the white-band Pirelli train. The tactic is to cross the finish line without further stops. In free air, the Monegasque driver is really fast, the fastest on track. He sets two very fast laps until the virtual safety car slows down the race. Luckily, it’s only for half a lap, and none of his competitors can take advantage of the opportunity for a pit stop in half the time.

Max Verstappen also changes tires. Hards for him, rejoining just ahead of Charles Leclerc by about 3 seconds. The Monegasque driver is asked to maintain a consistent lap time of around 32.5 or faster. This pace, theoretically, should allow the Ferrari driver to regain the position on Oscar Piastri. This indeed happens when the Australian makes the pit stop simultaneously with Carlos Sainz. Shortly after, the twist: the Safety Car is deployed. Kevin Magnussen has collided with Logan Sargeant. Carlos Sainz rightfully despairs as he had just changed tires, while Lando Norris, on the other hand, takes advantage of the opportunity and pits under double yellow flag conditions.

Midway through the Miami Grand Prix, here is the top six standings with their respective tires: Lando Norris with new Hards, Max Verstappen (5 laps on Hards), Charles Leclerc (9 laps on Hards), Oscar Piastri (3 laps on Hards), Carlos Sainz (2 laps on Hards), Sergio Perez (2 laps on Mediums). The positions remain unchanged after the restart. Lando Norris holds off Max Verstappen, while Carlos Sainz tries to pass Oscar Piastri, who takes him off track. The Spaniard is furious and demands a penalty. The Ferrari driver tries again, but things stay the same. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc is close to Max Verstappen, who cannot pass Lando Norris. In fact, the McLaren driver seems to even pull away from the championship leader.

With 20 laps to go, things remain unchanged. Stalemate phase and studying of opponents. Xavier Marcos Padros suggests changing tactics in turn 12 for more speed. Finally, Carlos Sainz passes Oscar Piastri with the Ferrari SF-24, a maneuver where there is a slight contact with the Australian’s McLaren, but no damage is reported. However, the Spaniard seems to disagree because he asks for several checks on the car. His race engineer Riccardo Adami insists that everything is okay. The number 1 MCL38 is really fast, faster than Red Bull, who has a gap of 3.5 seconds at this stage. On the other hand, Charles Leclerc is trying to keep up with the Dutchman, who is ahead of him by 2.5 seconds.

With ten laps to go, Max Verstappen seems to ease off. Lando Norris is clearly too fast, and the Dutchman is doing a lot of tire management in the fast corners. For this reason, Charles Leclerc believes he can reduce the gap and tries to get closer, while Carlos Sainz, behind him, chips away a few tenths from his Maranello teammate every lap. Observing the onboard footage, it is noted that the Monegasque begins to struggle in the first sector, with some snaps occurring in the attempt to push to the maximum. His tires are the oldest of the top 6, a factor that starts to be felt with 5 laps to go, although the gap to Max Verstappen does not widen.

Now we are in the final stages of the Miami Grand Prix. We can say that Ferrari has given its best and hasn’t been particularly lucky this weekend. In this regard, it is noticeable how the lack of updates compared to the opponents makes itself felt. Updates that will arrive at the Imola circuit in the next race. A third and fourth place for the Maranello team that isn’t the best possible result, but considering Lando Norris’ good luck, it’s acceptable. The McLaren driver, indeed, favored by the Safety Car that offers him a free stop, is truly phenomenal in keeping Max Verstappen behind without too many problems. The updates on the MCL38 have worked great. But the Dutchman ends an imperfect weekend in second place without drama, given the advantage he currently holds in the Drivers standings.

Ferrari SF-24 cars, Miami