Third and fourth place finish, 20 seconds behind Max Verstappen’s Red Bull (about 50% less than the 50 seconds in 2023), and both cars crossing the finish line: that’s how Ferrari leaves Bahrain, the venue for the opening race of the 2024 Formula 1 season. A race in which, as indicated by the results of winter testing, the SF-24 marched without major issues, positioning itself as the second force on the field, behind the Red Bull from “another galaxy” (as Toto Wolff described them), but ahead of McLaren and Mercedes.
With the data in hand, the start of the season for the Maranello team is (almost) in continuity with the trend interrupted at the end of 2023, allowing Fréd Vasseur’s team to approach the new championship with a more optimistic outlook than 12 months ago. However, they are aware that bridging the gap to Red Bull will be tough, given the expected half-second gap per lap (in the race) and the problems encountered in the Sakhir race.
A significant gap that, post-race, Fred Vasseur tried to minimize, referencing the first race of the previous championship, but taking into account the gap in Abu Dhabi, the final race of the year (which was about 18 seconds) gives it a different significance. Unfortunately, it highlights a step back that, as of today and underscores that the Maranello team is not yet in a position to compete for the Formula 1 world title. This theory was presented by the renowned journalist Leo Turrini in a recent article on his official blog:
“How boring it is, Max Verstappen takes off, and it’s hard to imagine him defeated at the end of the season. […] Ferrari is not ready for the World Championship. […] We are looking ahead to another season dominated by the energy drink team and the rules have remained the same.”
A race that, in fact, downsized the expectations within the Ferrari Racing Division, revealing that the 2024 Ferrari could at best aspire to win a handful of races: an achievable goal by closing (or at least significantly reducing) the gap to Red Bull.
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“In Sakhir, the Scuderia recorded a timid progress compared to the atrocious performance of early 2023. Timid, huh. The Red car in Bahrain was ahead of Mercedes, McLaren, Aston Martin. Is that enough? Certainly not. Is it an encouraging result? Only if you accept the harsh truth: after the disasters of the past, in 2024, it would already be a lot for Ferrari to win a few races. I said at the time that 5 would be enough. I fear they might be too many. Achieving them would indicate an improvement in terms of in-season developing after years in which Ferrari lacked also in this regard” – the Italian journalist pointed out.
Among the various issues facing the Prancing Horse, as brought to light by Leo Turrini, there is the one related to the management of drivers, especially Carlos Sainz, who, in his last year with Ferrari, does not seem inclined to be the second driver but, on the contrary, eager to demonstrate his worth to the Prancing Horse and other teams.
“Fred Vasseur, jokingly, will have to manage the relationship between Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc well. In the Sakhir race, the Spaniard made it clear, with aggressive overtakes on Charles Leclerc, that he will not play the role of a supporting knight. It could become a problem if, in some Grand Prix, Ferrari is genuinely in the running for victory.” – the Italian journalist and Formula 1 expert concluded.
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