The final act of the F1 world championship, where Ferrari is fighting for the title. Although it is the constructors’ championship, this time two of the teams that have written the history of the top motorsport category are battling for it. A rivalry that has written some of the most important pages. As for the Maranello team, it has been twelve years since Fernando Alonso was still in the running for the title, in this case, the drivers’ title, in a rain-soaked race at Interlagos. Rationally, the gap between the Prancing Horse and the Woking team in the constructors’ standings is wide.
In fact, even a double win with the fastest lap might not be enough to surpass the team led by Andrea Stella. Moreover, it must be acknowledged that in this competitive scenario, the goal would be an epic feat, considering that in the previous fifteen editions of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Ferrari has never crossed the finish line at Yas Marina in first place. Although sooner or later the right time may come, claiming that it could be this Sunday with a double win is not so simple.
In short, it must be said that Ferrari is not in control of its own destiny. It needs significant help from McLaren, which should make mistakes or, in general, fail to optimize performance and, as a result, the on-track result. Historically, in terms of results, the Abu Dhabi track has been difficult for the legendary Italian team. However, as mentioned, this season many predictions have been systematically overturned. For this reason, we ask: is it possible to judge the season of the Scuderia independently of the verdict of the final round?
Ferrari is growing: but defeat by McLaren would be difficult to accept
The judgments at the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will inevitably be influenced by the final standings in the constructors’ championship. For this reason, an assessment of the season for the Prancing Horse, free from emotional components, can only be made on the eve of the last leg of this long season. As always, the measure of any result is functional to the point of comparison. If the reference point is last season, the outcome for the team led by Fredric Vasseur can only be undeniably flattering.
Five wins in a season hadn’t been achieved since 2018 (that year it was six, note). After the first year of adjustment, the head of the Sporting Management took the reins of the Italian team. This did not only bring an organizational overhaul but also a new mindset focused on risk-taking, rather than staying in the “comfort zone.” This move allowed the team to speed up development on the SF-24, with some successes and others less so, such as the important update introduced in Spain.
Despite being unable to fight for the drivers’ title, there were several tense moments between Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc which were resolved thanks to the skilled management of the French manager. If the comparison is with the competition of 2024, the evaluation of Ferrari is slightly different. The red team managed to perform better than Red Bull, which raced with only one driver for two-thirds of the season. Mercedes was also behind, thanks to the greater consistency of Ferrari compared to the Silver Arrows, which could only shine under certain environmental conditions.
However, McLaren’s performance step remains the most impressive compared to last season. The strong feeling is that the papaya-colored cars are overall the most competitive vehicles on the grid, even though four teams were capable of winning at least four races. Although the drivers did not live up to the car, the Woking team is at the top of the standings with ease, and this is the sore point for the Italian team, as Ferrari could and should have done better.
If the team led by Andrea Stella were to become F1 world champion, the blow would be enormous. We are talking about a team that hasn’t won a constructors’ championship since Verstappen and Leclerc were one year old. Who would have thought that the historic British team could achieve such a result, ahead of the Prancing Horse, which, despite everything, had still shown moments of competitiveness over the last decade? The final judgment: Ferrari has grown tangibly, but a possible defeat at the hands of McLaren would be very painful…
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