According to Helmut Marko, Ferrari won’t always replicate their success in this 2024 Formula 1 World Championship. The Red Bull super-consultant minimizes the impact of Ferrari’s dominant one-two finish, calling it perhaps a “one-off.” He suggests that in the upcoming races, McLaren’s MCL38 and Red Bull’s RB20 will quickly regain the upper hand over Ferrari’s SF-24, though he did praise Charles Leclerc.
Ferrari’s one-two in Austin certainly took the paddock by surprise. Sure, there were signs of a recovery for the Prancing Horse: the Monza victory, the strong performance in Azerbaijan, and the race pace in Singapore that was masked by a disastrous qualifying session. Some had claimed these were “favorable circuits,” with the real test being the Circuit of The Americas.
That test has come, and the SF-24 single-seater not only met but exceeded expectations. The one-two finish in the United States Grand Prix wasn’t the result of luck: while Max Verstappen’s attack on Lando Norris at the start did help Charles Leclerc, Ferrari’s race pace was unmatched. A true domination, promising well for Mexico and beyond.
However, not everyone shares the same optimism. Perhaps for strategic reasons or maybe with the rationality of a rival, Helmut Marko isn’t dazzled by Ferrari’s performance.
“When Ferrari has a race where everything clicks, they’re often very strong, but I don’t think they can repeat this on all tracks,” said the Austrian as reported by Speedweek. “Charles Leclerc was incredible. We thought he would wear out the tires, but he maintained his race pace until the end. Carlos Sainz also did well—it was a misjudgment on our part.” – the Red Bull boss admitted at the end or the Austin race.
