The first round of the 2024 Formula 1 campaign, the Bahrain Grand Prix, was bittersweet for Scuderia Ferrari: on one hand, the cars finished in third and fourth place at the Sakhir circuit, only behind Red Bull (as was expected, among other things). On the other hand, there was a bitter taste, with the awareness that more could have been done and that, also this year, it will be necessary to play catch-up to the Austrian side. Seeing the disappointment in the eyes of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc after still a notable result is hopeful, as it is a sign of a burning flame, a desire for revenge, of a potential in the SF-24 car that has yet to be fully unlocked.
In a recent article for the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera, Italian journalist Giorgio Terruzzi summed up the first Grand Prix of the 2024 Formula One season. “The drivers lifted the spirits and were positive at the end of the race. Charles Leclerc, convinced he could have finished second, if not for the brake issue that complicated his braking trajectories; Carlos Sainz, sure he could put Red Bull behind on tracks with less tire degradation. Words that are like bright signals in a dark night, a bit too similar to others, a series traversed by the Ferrari family yesterday and the day before. Second force on track, as hoped and confirmed by the standings. Yes, but any pre-race optimism was dismantled by the usual Max Verstappen pace from the first laps. […] Carlos Sainz was galvanized at the end of the race, his eyes wide and joyful after always pushing with a commendable mix of head and heart. But the Spaniard’s balance contains personal satisfaction because starting ahead of Charles Leclerc in the year of farewell to Ferrari, means fully corresponding to his own intimate desire.” – Giorgio Terruzzi pointed out.
“We are not at the despair experienced in 2023, but the climb still seems steep. Since this is the first stage, significant and perhaps rapid progress for a car that anyway shows some signs of health is to be expected. […] In Saudi Arabia, for sure, we do not have, we will not have an overturned scenario. Rather, it is about pursuing, continuing a chase which at this point weighs not only on Ferrari’s balance but on that of the entire World Championship,” concluded the journalist at the end of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
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