At the Mexican Grand Prix, Ferrari reached five wins in a season for the first time since 2018. Despite the positive momentum for the Scuderia, there’s still a chance they could end up empty-handed…
Ferrari Has Grown, But That Blackout in the Summer..
Ferrari’s 2024 Formula One season began with high expectations: the SF-24 had — and probably still has — some difficulties in qualifying, but it quickly showed signs of being more competitive than its predecessor.
The first big moment of the year came in Australia, where, aided by a retirement from Max Verstappen, Ferrari secured its first one-two finish of the season, with Carlos Sainz ahead of Charles Leclerc.
Seven months later, much has changed. From the Spaniard’s triumph in Melbourne to the recent victory in Mexico, Ferrari has gone through dark times.
After Charles Leclerc’s home win in Monaco, fans dared to dream of a world title fight. Then came the collapse: from Canada onward, at least until after the summer break, the Maranello team struggled with upgrades, allowing rivals to claw back a significant number of points.
These points, in this heated end to the season — where Ferrari has found great form again — could be decisive.
The gap from McLaren in the constructors’ standings is 29 points, with only four Grands Prix left. It’s not an insurmountable distance, but it’s not an easy one either. In the Drivers’ Championship, Carlos Sainz is already mathematically out of the fight, and Charles Leclerc would need something close to a miracle.
Who knows if, when the final tally is made after the Abu Dhabi race, Ferrari will regret that summer blackout period. Given the clear work from Frederic Vasseur’s team, it would be a shame, but also a tool for continued growth; especially with the awareness that a certain seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton, will soon be arriving at Maranello.
