With Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, against the odds, Ferrari leaves round 23 of the 2024 Formula 1 championship, the Qatar Grand Prix, with three points gained over rivals McLaren during the penultimate weekend of the current racing campaign. Between the events of the Sprint Race and the chaotic Sunday race, the Maranello team now finds itself 21 points behind the Woking team in the Constructors’ Championship standings. A positive outcome keeps hope alive until the final corner at Yas Marina. Many things happened in Losail, and the FIA was completely unable to manage the situation.
Seemingly simple situations became extremely complicated due to the sluggish execution by the new race director, Rui Marques, who left a mirror on the straight without deploying the Virtual Safety Car to remove it, which indirectly triggered the punctures of Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz. He also issued a rather heavy penalty to Lando Norris, effectively excluding him from the race, despite the fact that the British driver ultimately finished tenth with the additional point for the fastest lap and from the chance to fight for victory, as he was in the thick of the battle with Max Verstappen.
Ferrari certainly took advantage of this situation: Charles Leclerc finished second ahead of Oscar Piastri, while Carlos Sainz managed to recover after his puncture, securing at least sixth place. The Spaniard could have certainly achieved a better result, perhaps passing Pierre Gasly in the final laps, which would have given the Scuderia two very important additional points. Nonetheless, despite everything, the Spanish driver managed to bring a solid contribution to Ferrari’s Constructors’ Championship tally.
The Losail race was won by a supercharged Max Verstappen, who, with a car transformed compared to the Sprint segment of the weekend, managed to dominate everyone with his RB20. It was already predicted before the weekend that the Dutchman, far from satisfied with his F1 Drivers’ Championship victory, would give it his all. A poor performance came from Mercedes, which, between Lewis Hamilton’s issue and a very slow stop for George Russell, lost all chances of returning to the podium. Finally, McLaren, the heavy favorite before the Qatar Grand Prix, has plenty to regret.
Ferrari can smile, as can Charles Leclerc, who is usually not content with a second place. Yet there was a sort of awareness in the Maranello garage before the Qatar weekend, and it seemed there was a strong possibility that the championship would be sealed in McLaren’s favor one race early, given the competitiveness of the MCL38 on this track and the issues suffered by the SF-24, partly related to its lack of rotation. Fortunately, this was not the case, and everything is now postponed to Abu Dhabi.
Charles Leclerc stated that the race was perhaps the most physically demanding F1 event of the year. He noted that while there was no issue with management or strategy, as the team was flawless with the tires, the main problem was their lack of pace. The Monegasque driver explained that in such situations, it was crucial to make the most of every available resource, which they successfully did. He expressed satisfaction with the outcome, acknowledging that although he is usually not content with a second-place finish, on this occasion, they managed to beat McLaren and score more points than anticipated. He added that the Maranello team had initially expected to score fewer points than their rivals. However, he regretted the circumstances for Carlos Sainz, suggesting that they could have achieved a second and third-place finish.
The Monegasque’s final comment reflects his determination to believe until the end, beyond what the track might offer. The Ferrari driver does not dwell on the layout or discuss the inherent characteristics of his car in terms of how they might adapt to the Abu Dhabi circuit. He simply focuses on achieving the best possible result. Charles Leclerc remarked that a one-two finish in Abu Dhabi would be necessary for Ferrari to secure the Constructors’ Championship. He reflected on his past experience, noting that he had never won in Monaco until it eventually happened, expressing hope that a similar outcome could occur again. However, it must be said that a one-two finish will not be enough if the two McLarens finish third and fourth.
Misfortune struck Carlos Sainz in the Qatar F1 Grand Prix, there is no other way to put it. This, despite his pace not being particularly remarkable. The Spaniard, who had a less-than-stellar first part of the race—partly due to tire management imposed by the Maranello team, which was a clearly necessary choice), ran over debris from Alex Albon’s mirror, suffering a puncture and completing an entire lap on three wheels. A real shame, because, as Charles Leclerc mentioned, there was a genuine opportunity to score even more points against McLaren.
Carlos Sainz expressed his dissatisfaction with how the day unfolded, explaining that he had to complete an entire lap with a puncture, which cost him significant time. He mentioned that the pit stop was slow and that the subsequent Safety Car deployment benefited the drivers ahead. While frustrated by the outcome, he acknowledged that such situations are part of racing. Looking ahead to Abu Dhabi, Carlos Sainz emphasized that the title was still within reach and that they would need an exceptional weekend, scoring many points while limiting McLaren’s tally. The Spaniard assured that the Maranello team would give their all, believing they were in a strong position to succeed.
Now Ferrari has no choice but to aim for the best possible result at the 5.281-kilometre Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, namely to do everything possible to secure first and second place, and then hope that something happens to McLaren. As mentioned, with a Ferrari one-two finish and the two papaya cars in third and fourth, the points scored would not be sufficient. Therefore, attention also shifts to others, namely Max Verstappen and the two Mercedes cars of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, while excluding Sergio Perez altogether, who will play the role of the arbiters of this 2024 Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship. It remains to be seen in whose favor they will act.
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