Is the Championship Now Possible for Ferrari?
With the first third of the championship behind us, Max Verstappen and the Milton Keynes team are still leading the standings. However, the gap to their pursuers is surprising and, in some ways, astonishing.
After seeing Max Verstappen win 19 out of 22 races last season, a similar performance was expected this 2024 season. However, the script has been quite different so far. Max Verstappen leads the standings with a 31-point advantage over Charles Leclerc after eight races, while Ferrari is trailing Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship by “only” 24 points.
Giancarlo Minardi also commented on Ferrari’s clear victory while appearing on the Italian program “Griglia di Partenza,” discussing what was seen in Monaco: “What we saw in qualifying on Saturday was fantastic, with Charles Leclerc managing to distance Piastri by over two-tenths.”
“I would be a bit more cautious about the race. I don’t believe it marks Ferrari’s future. The race times were perhaps slower than Formula 2. We saw a race where Ferrari made no mistakes, Leclerc made no mistakes, but I would say it was unusual compared to future races in the championship, so I would keep my feet on the ground.”
“The positive thing is that we finally saw Charlea Leclerc smile. He achieved the goal of his life, which is winning in Monaco on Sunday after many pole positions that didn’t convert into victories.” – he pointed out.
“He optimized the fastest lap and the Sunday race. I think this is a good sign for his and the team’s morale.”
Despite this, the native of Faenza still sees Max Verstappen’s RB20 as the benchmark for the rest of the season, despite the recent decline in performance: “I believe that the car to beat, beyond this Monaco debacle, is still Verstappen’s and Red Bull’s.” – Giancarlo Minardi concluded.
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