2024 F1 Spanish GP: Ferrari hiding between reality and hopes ahead of Barcelona track action. Ferrari between reality and hopes in view of the Spanish Grand Prix.

Scuderia Ferrari is called to react in Formula 1 after the Montreal disaster in the Canadian Grand Prix two weeks ago. A double retirement for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz due to technical problems suffered with the Monegasque driver’s power unit at the 4.361-kilometre Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal and, in general, an SF-24 car that was essentially a poor copy of the one appreciated in the previous rounds of the 2024 Formula 1 championship. The splendid victory of the Prancing Horse in the 24 Hours of Le Mans last Sunday thrilled the fans of the historic Italian team. Their colleagues from the Formula 1 team must recover after the Montreal debacle this weekend, which will be spent on a track historically unfavorable to the reds, at least in the very recent past.

We just have to consider that the last victory for Ferrari at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya dates back to 2013 and coincides with Fernando Alonso’s last win in the top category of motorsport. The last round in North America confirmed that Max Verstappen is crucial in Red Bull’s recent successes based on the constantly poor performance of his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez. Meanwhile, McLaren can fight for victory but needs a clean weekend starting from the qualifying session and must avoid strategy errors as was the case in Montreal. Finally, there was an important signal from Mercedes, which, however, needs to be confirmed in the upcoming races. The calendar now offers a triple-header that should definitively indicate the season’s momentum.

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur explained that the current margins between the top teams are very tight, so a small mistake over the weekend can drop you from the first to the fourth position. This is why the new reality must be accepted as normal. The French team principal emphasized that Red Bull also struggled a lot in Monaco, although objectively the streets of the Principality are not a good benchmark for assessing a car’s quality. The head of the Ferrari Racing Department stressed how decisive factors like updates, layout, and tire management are for the overall weekend result.

Every single detail in this 2024 Formula 1 championship can really make a difference, according to the Ferrari team boss. The always cheerful Fred Vasseur has an idea he would like to implement. For the Frenchman, the ideal would be to optimize the weekend even on tracks that are unfavorable for some reason, as happened at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Canada. However, not succeeding does not mean that progress has not been made. Moreover, it is important to keep the concentration of all team members high because making a drama out of some inappropriate performances is no longer part of Ferrari’s mentality.

On the other hand, Charles Leclerc warns everyone: in Spain, it will be necessary to play a defensive game. The Montmelò circuit seems tailor-made to highlight the characteristics of the RB20 single-seater, especially after the removal of the last chicane in the third sector, which had very high and difficult-to-interpret curbs. This dynamic could have been unfavorable for Red Bull, as it clearly showed that managing grip in such situations is not optimal for them. Although the Monegasque driver clarified that he is not speaking on behalf of the team, in his opinion, the Milton Keynes cars will be very strong this weekend in the Spanish Grand Prix at the Barcelona track.

So strong that he predicts a gap similar to what Max Verstappen was able to inflict on the competition at the beginning of the 2024 Formula 1 season. This is all thanks to the Catalan layout, which is very favorable for the Austrian cars. According to Charles Leclerc, Red Bull’s main competitor will undoubtedly be McLaren. The MCL38 can fight with the Dutchman, according to the Ferrari driver. This low profile might be part of a new communication strategy, or it might not. The Monegasque driver is aware that there will be suffering in Barcelona, especially if it rains during the race as predicted by the main weather portals.

For Carlos Sainz, this is the last Grand Prix with the Ferrari uniform in his homeland. An event clearly very meaningful to the public and the Spanish driver, who is aware that, at least in the short term, Sunday might be the last chance to stand on the podium in front of “his people.” Regarding the Montreal blackout, Carlos Sainz fully supports Frederic Vasseur’s stance and doesn’t make a big deal out of it. This is because in a Formula 1 weekend, everything can go wrong, and the best way to restart is to understand your mistakes, correct them, and keep morale high.

Carlos Sainz hopes that the updates Ferrari has brought forward for the Spanish Grand Prix, upon returning to Europe after the Canadian round, can provide the two SF-24 cars with a significant increase in downforce without overly penalizing the drag. The Spaniard knows well that there is no magic wand to overturn the values on the track overnight. And although Max Verstappen claims that it is easier to copy rivals under the current regulations, managing updates is not at all simple, especially considering the validation times.

Source: FUnoanalisitecnica