Scuderia Ferrari scores another podium finish in this start of the 2024 Formula 1 season, thanks to the third place finish in the Japanese Grand Prix at the 5.807-kilometre Suzuka International Racing Course last Sunday and also achieved a significant recovery with Charles Leclerc. A third and fourth place behind Red Bull certifies one key factor: the Prancing Horse is the second force of the championship. McLaren started ahead following the results in the qualifying session but couldn’t match the pace and strategy of the red car. A “lesson” that the Woking team takes and learns from, on a track friendly to the papaya-colored cars considering the characteristics of the solid MCL38 single-seater. Mercedes is unable to get involved in the battle for the final step of the podium, while Aston Martin the same. A not perfect weekend but not one to discard in the overall balance of the championship.
Could Ferrari have done better? Definitely yes, especially regarding tire management. A problem that effectively blocked a good chunk of the competitiveness of the Italian cars which, starting from the front, could undoubtedly have put much more pressure on Red Bull. The Milton Keynes team wins without “breaking a sweat”, a comfortable triumph where Max Verstappen is in a league of his own and Sergio Perez does his best to secure second place. A Red Bull RB20 that performs very strongly, a creation of team principal Christian Horner and the brilliant mind of Adrian Newey. After the disastrous Australian weekend, the reigning world champions return to dominate at Suzuka.
Ferrari at Suzuka: Carlos Sainz excellent, Charles Leclerc takes initiative
Frederic Vasseur is a sincere person in front of the microphones: every reference is not purely random, recalling how Mattia Binotto often reported issues differently than the facts. For Ferrari fans, the Japanese Grand Prix went really well, this is the French manager’s first thought. Tire strategy was really good. Without a doubt, what was missing was related to Saturday’s performance, because the work done could undoubtedly have been better. As for the race, praise goes to Carlos Sainz, author of a solid and consistent performance, while Charles Leclerc achieved an important recovery from eighth to fourth position: excellent teamwork, in short.
Carlos Sainz argued on the radio that tire degradation varied between one stint and another, but overall, the wear suffered was less than expected. Reflecting on this aspect, using the strategy employed with Charles Leclerc also on the Spaniard, could they perhaps have aspired to catch Sergio Perez’s Red Bull? Frederic Vasseur doesn’t agree with this, because according to the French manager’s calculations, the fastest strategy was still the two-stop. Regarding Charles Leclerc, the decision made also taking into consideration the need to avoid traffic, as the Monegasque driver lost a lot of time in the first laps of the stint, having to slow down to avoid dirty air.
The good news is that the gap to Red Bull compared to last season has been significantly reduced. Nevertheless, it was not enough to close the delta to the Milton Keynes team. The Frenchman reiterates that the shortcomings on Saturday made a lot of difference, perhaps too much. On a positive note, degradation wasn’t a problem, and the two SF-24 cars weren’t so far off from achieving the fastest lap of the Japanese Grand Prix, at the end of the stint. However, the final stages of the qualifying session in Q3 weigh heavily on the overall outcome of the Suzuka weekend. For this reason, Scuderia Ferrari is working on this aspect. The curious thing is this: compared to 2023, it’s practically the opposite situation, as the Maranello team is able to find more performance in race pace compared to Saturday. The gap must also be reduced on a flying lap.
Lastly, one aspect. Did Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz really compete on the track? Absolutely not. They were on two different strategies, and when the Spaniard arrived like a train in Charles Leclerc’s exhausts, he had a decidedly superior pace. Although the Monegasque wasn’t quite happy to let him pass easily, as he hoped for something more from the strategy implemented, he eventually accepts the outcome. On this point, it’s worth making the final observation. Charles Leclerc suggested the tactic that was eventually used by the Maranello pit wall. He chose it, convincing a doubtful Ferrari pit wall, and with facts, he proved that his theory was correct, despite those who sometimes think his race vision isn’t up to par.
Source: Alessandro Arcari for FUnoanalisitecnica
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