Ferrari is unfortunately experiencing more lows than highs in Formula 1 at the moment. After the Monaco Grand Prix, where Charles Leclerc won in front of his home fans (with Carlos Sainz finishing third), the Maranello team has been unable to fight for victory. From Montreal to Silverstone, Ferrari has shown to be the fourth strongest team in the championship. Even in the last GP in Hungary, Ferrari remained behind McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes, although there were glimpses of improvement during the race.
Charles Leclerc’s stint on hard tires after the first pit stop showed an SF-24 with a better pace compared to its rivals. However, by the end of the race on the yellow tires, the car once again lacked the speed to keep up with the competition. This weekend’s race will be held in Belgium at Spa Francorchamps, where Ferrari needs to find answers before the summer break.
Andrea Montermini commented on Ferrari’s situation on Pit-Talk. The former F1 driver stated that if no further developments are made to the SF-24, Ferrari’s situation will remain the same until the end of the season. Essentially, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will not be able to fight for top positions under these conditions.
Andrea Montermini referenced statements from Charles Leclerc and Fred Vasseur, who agreed in their comments that this is the current state of Ferrari. They acknowledged that the team did their best on Sunday, with one of the cars finishing ahead of Max Verstappen. However, if the Dutchman hadn’t made mistakes, he would have finished ahead of both Ferrari cars.
The technical situation is clear. If the car remains as it is until the end of the season without improvements in aerodynamics, mechanics, or bouncing issues, Ferrari will not have any circuits in their favor, unlike in Monaco. To compete with McLaren, Mercedes, and Red Bull, Ferrari will need to bring updates to their car. Even a tenth of a second can make a significant difference in qualifying, potentially placing them in the second or third row.
Ferrari now faces a decision: invest further in the SF-24 or focus on the 2025 F1 championship. The Belgian GP will be very indicative for Ferrari in this regard. A good result at Spa could be a turning point. At the beginning of the season, the SF-24 was far from difficult to drive. However, the upgrade package did not yield the expected results. The goal is no longer to fight for the constructors’ championship as predicted at the start of the season, but to correct a challenging technical situation that risks demotivating both the drivers and the entire team.
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