Fred Vasseur rejects claims that Ferrari SF24 update setback could derail F1 title bid. Fred Vasseur denies botched upgrade will cost Ferrari F1 title.

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has dismissed suggestions that the Maranello team’s aerodynamic problematic upgrade at the Spanish Grand Prix will cost them the constructors’ championship.

With only two races remaining in 2024, Ferrari trails McLaren by 24 points in the battle for its first F1 title since winning the constructors’ championship in 2008. McLaren is also vying for its first title since 1998.

Both teams have been titleless since 2008 when they shared the championships, with Lewis Hamilton securing the drivers’ title for McLaren. Although Red Bull is still in contention, they are 53 points behind McLaren, with 103 points still up for grabs in the upcoming Qatar and Abu Dhabi races.

Ferrari began the season strongly and has regained form in recent races. However, their performance faltered mid-season following a one-two finish in Monaco, with Charles Leclerc enduring a tough stretch of three races without scoring any points between Canada and Britain.

An upgrade introduced in Spain caused the car to experience porpoising again, coinciding with this dip in performance. However, the French manager is confident that this issue will not be the main factor preventing Ferrari from securing the Formula 1 championship.

“This is an easy one, that it is always easy at the end of the season to say without the crash in Singapore [for Carlos Sainz in qualifying], or without this or without that, we would have been champion,” – the Ferrari team principal explained at the end of the Las Vegas Grand Prix – “I think this is true for McLaren, they’ve also had some issues, it is true for everybody on the grid, we have all missed opportunities. Part of the business is not only to have the best car, but also to score the maximum number of points we can score over the season.” – he pointed out.

“It is true that Baku was not the best one, nor was Singapore, and we struggled in terms of pure performance in Spain, the UK and Austria, but the reaction was good because after three races, we were back on the pace at Spa, but it is true that in terms of pure performance, this was the weak point.” – Frederic Vasseur concluded.