The 2024 season for Ferrari was, all in all, positive. The Maranello team showed significant signs of growth in several areas during the first true year under Frederic Vasseur’s leadership, but this was not enough to secure a world title that fans have been waiting for far too long.
Ups and downs
The Scuderia’s year began with one certainty: the SF-24 was the second-fastest car on track, behind Red Bull.
As the races progressed, leading up to the Monaco weekend, Ferrari showed it could claim victories, though aware that something more was needed in terms of performance to compete for the championship.
That “something” was supposed to come with the first substantial upgrade package of the season, introduced between Imola and Barcelona. Yet, precisely during this period, the momentum of the championship completely shifted: Red Bull entered a notable technical crisis, while McLaren surged forward thanks to significant modifications made to the MCL38.
During the European segment of the year, it is undeniable that Ferrari lost its way and, consequently, the tangible chance to win at least one title. However, that opportunity reemerged toward the end, when the engineers’ work at Maranello truly bore fruit.
The 2024 assessment
Considering everything said so far, it seems necessary to distinguish between the track and the factory.
On the former, especially in terms of strategy, Fred Vasseur’s team has little to regret, as do the drivers, who performed exceptionally well.
On the other hand, regarding the engineers’ efforts, it must be acknowledged with intellectual honesty that the innovations introduced from Imola onward (at least until the “corrections” made in the autumn) compromised the championship outcome.
Overall, the most accurate rating for Ferrari’s 2024 season is likely around 7½. The positive trend at the end of the year gives fans hope, with the awareness that next season they will also have a certain Lewis Hamilton to rely on…
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