The price to pay for the mistakes made on Saturday arrived, right on time, 24 hours later. Marina Bay, like many street circuits, doesn’t give any discounts; starting mid-pack means having to fight an uphill battle, and that’s exactly what Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz had to do for 62 laps.
Charles’ fifth place and Carlos’ seventh were the best possible outcomes, which explains the modest smiles seen at the end of the race. The final result allowed the team to limit the damage—16 points are obviously better than nothing, and they weren’t guaranteed at the start—but rewinding to the eve of the weekend, this is not the haul the team was expecting.
Marina Bay was one of the tracks listed as “friendly,” a circuit where Ferrari was aiming for the top goal. However, two bad pieces of news drastically reduced the target: mistakes in qualifying by Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, and the potential of the McLaren-Norris tandem. It’s realistic to think that if Saturday evening had gone smoothly, Ferrari could have placed its cars on the first and second rows, but it’s hard to imagine Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz ahead of Lando Norris.
Red Bull was (in this case, yes) a reachable opponent, and a double podium was within Ferrari’s potential. But it’s also worth considering that McLaren was missing Oscar Piastri from the front row.
Beyond speculation, the reality is quite clear: Ferrari missed the podium (for the first time since the summer break) on a track that suits the characteristics of the SF-24. The car’s potential became evident in the second stint of the race, when, with hard tires (and a good strategy), Charles Leclerc was able to match Lando Norris’ times, overtaking Lewis Hamilton and catching George Russell.
“On Friday, we were in better shape than the fifth and seventh positions we got today,” admitted Frederic Vasseur, “so that means we left something on the table over the weekend. When you start the race in Singapore from ninth and tenth, you know something went wrong, and the weekend result is not what we expected.” – the French manager explained.
“That said,” Fred Vasseur continued, “the work done during the race was good, and the pace was competitive. Charles had a good start, Carlos not so much, but with the right race management, they both moved up.”
Charles Leclerc (who retracted some of his statements made after qualifying) found a positive note after the race. “We maximized our potential,” he explained. “The first stint was long and a bit frustrating; it required a lot of patience to stay calm behind the slower cars ahead. In the second stint, things went better; we had really good pace with a clean track. I pushed hard, but unfortunately, toward the end of the race, when it was time to attack George, my rear tires were no longer in the best condition, and we couldn’t gain that position. Overall, it wasn’t the most satisfying weekend for us, but as a team, we can be proud of how we turned things around today in the race and the fifth place we brought home.”
Now, there are three weeks until the important trip to Austin, where Ferrari will try for the first time to see how the ‘Monza’ package works on fast corners. The two cars will also feature new developments, which at this point in the season will be crucial to understanding what Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz can aim for.
“I believe this will be the last update for everyone,” Frederic Vasseur explained. “Teams have already started developing next year’s car, but we are trying to do our best to have small updates for the next race. In such a close grid like the current one, even the smallest detail becomes important and can make a difference.” – the Ferrari team boss concluded.
In the Singapore weekend, Ferrari conceded three points to Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship. The gap between the two teams (34 points) makes second place a possible final goal for the Scuderia, as well as more race victories to close the season on a high note. Competing with Red Bull today seems like a possible goal, but to bother McLaren, something more will be needed—what Ferrari hopes to find in Austin.
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