Ferrari in Abu Dhabi for an unexpected feat and Fred Vasseur’s world championship remedy. F1 title battle: Whatever the outcome, Ferrari deserves this opportunity.

Ferrari has reached the point of competing for the world championship in the final race of the season—an unprecedented scenario in the hybrid era. This is already a significant achievement for the Maranello team, which, after the disastrous management under Mattia Binotto, began its uphill journey under Frederic Vasseur, largely due to the legacy left by the Reggio Emilia engineer, now with Sauber/Audi.

The past is the past, no doubt, but the journey to get here shouldn’t be forgotten. It’s impossible to erase the disaster of the very early part of the 2023 season, with a car that was slow on full tanks, chewed through tires, and was extremely fragile in terms of reliability. Charles Leclerc faced penalties for changing two electronic control units even before starting the second race in Jeddah, following the Bahrain GP.

It was a different era, with Fred Vasseur tasked with an internal revolution that is now bearing fruit: unwanted figures like aerodynamic head Sanchez and, more recently, Enrico Cardile, responsible for the disastrous Barcelona update this year—have been replaced. The latter’s departure to Aston Martin marked the end of his tenure. It’s been a clean slate, with new faces like Loic Serra and substantial work well-executed.

Mistakes have inevitably occurred because perfection is far from reach at Maranello, just as it is at Woking. Both title contenders have had their share of blunders, making the fight to the final race a fitting reward for F1 fans. Yet, 21 points could prove a heavy burden, as a one-two finish from Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz wouldn’t be enough without “jinxing” Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and McLaren.

Whatever the outcome, Ferrari deserves this opportunity. For too many years, the Maranello team has had to defer any kind of joy, and even though winning this title is extraordinarily difficult, fighting until the end is a worthy recognition of the work done by Frederic Vasseur and the technical department, often vilified in previous years.

Fred Vasseur deserves credit for introducing a different work culture, as the task was far from easy. In modern F1, recovering lost ground isn’t simple, and it requires time. The 2024 season, which began much better than the disastrous start of 2023, has shown that the Scuderia has accelerated its progress, becoming competitive sooner than expected.

“For the first time since F1 entered its hybrid era, we’ve managed to fight for a title in the final race,” said Fred Vasseur. “This is an important milestone, and this weekend we will try to do even more. Of course, we must be realistic. We’re mathematically in the running, but the title is very difficult to achieve. Even if we finish first and second, it might not be enough since McLaren holds a 21-point advantage and could settle for a third and fifth place.”

“Challenges, however, are in Ferrari’s DNA, and we want to try. We’ve prepared extensively for this event, knowing that qualifying will play a crucial role and that our car is more competitive in race conditions. Charles, Carlos, and the entire team will give their all, down to the last drop of sweat, to try and bring home the title.”

From now on, anything gained is a bonus. Reaching 2025 with a seven-time world champion on board and a constructors’ title would be an excellent foundation for a future yet to be written, especially considering the new technical regulations coming into effect in just over a year. Fred Vasseur believes in the mission, but Abu Dhabi requires a feat where Ferrari has never won.