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Charles Leclerc won the United States Grand Prix 2024. While Ferrari finished a historic 1-2 with Carlos Sainz finishing 2nd and Max Verstappen being third on the podium. Max currently leads the Drivers standing and with just five races left in this season looks all poised to win the trophy. Despite Max's inevitable 2024 Championship, Charles Leclerc remains determined to compete in this year's Drivers' Championship, even if he acknowledges that his chances are slim. He believes that if Ferrari can optimize their performance over the remaining races, significant improvements are possible. With five races and two sprints left in the 2024 season, there are definitely opportunities ahead.
Ferrari's Comeback
Ferrari has re-entered the Championship race in a big way following Leclerc's victory at the Italian Grand Prix. An article published by LWOS analyzed this success, highlighting the SF-24's upgrades and their potential to transform Ferrari's season. Fast forward two months and the SF-24 has solidified its status as a title contender. After strong performances at challenging circuits like Singapore and Baku, Ferrari was the clear fastest at COTA, marking a return to traditional tracks since Monza.
The updates introduced in Italy aimed to enhance downforce and resolve the instability that had plagued the team earlier in the season. Both goals were accomplished, allowing Ferrari to showcase impressive speed throughout the circuit. Their earlier strengths, such as stability under braking and performance in medium-speed corners, returned, while previous weaknesses became less pronounced.
Despite a challenging 79-point gap between him and Max Verstappen, Leclerc isn't backing down. While the margin is significant, he believes it’s not insurmountable. For the Monegasque driver to close the gap, he’ll need a perfect execution of race strategies and a bit of luck along the way.
“I mean, never say never. Even if we do everything perfectly, I feel like it will require a little bit of luck to try and get that title. And we cannot really rely on luck. So the Drivers’ [title] seems to be quite unlikely. But again, I’ll believe in it until it’s mathematically impossible," he remarked after the race in the Americas.
Ferrari will look back disappointed
Looking back, Ferrari can identify several races where they lost valuable points this season. Aside from their mid-season development struggles, retirements in Canada, Austria, and Silverstone have cost Leclerc crucial points. Without these setbacks, the fight for the Drivers’ Championship would be much more attainable.
Nonetheless, the current standings won't alter Ferrari’s approach in the upcoming races. They remain firmly in contention for the Constructors’ Championship and are focused on further optimizing their package to maximize their chances of clinching the title in Abu Dhabi.
