Charles Leclerc has acknowledged that Ferrari will struggle to match the pace of McLaren and Red Bull in the 2024 Formula 1 season, casting doubt on the team’s ability to challenge for the Constructors’ Championship. Despite recent strong performances, including a win in Monza and a second place in Baku, Leclerc concedes that Ferrari will need to rely on rivals’ mistakes and consistent results to close the gap to the front runners.
Ferrari’s Struggles in Singapore Highlight Pace Deficit
Ferrari’s hopes of capitalizing on its competitive package were dashed in Singapore as both Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz started further down the order after a challenging qualifying session. Leclerc managed to recover to fifth place, while Sainz finished seventh, leaving the team unable to challenge McLaren, which dominated with Lando Norris’s win and Oscar Piastri’s third-place finish.
Norris’s commanding 20-second victory extended McLaren’s lead over Red Bull in the Constructors’ standings to 41 points, with six rounds remaining. Meanwhile, Ferrari trails McLaren by 75 points, highlighting the uphill task ahead for the Italian outfit.
“I think if we keep being consistent and not having too many missed opportunities, we will do the count at the end and hopefully we’ll be enough to get the Constructors’ [title],” Leclerc said. “But on pure pace, I don’t think we are yet at the level to fight for the Constructors. I don’t see ourselves too much in the fight, but if they make mistakes then we might end up in the fight like we are now.”
Cautious Optimism Amidst Recent Improvements
Leclerc remains cautious about Ferrari’s recent improvements, especially regarding the high-speed bouncing issues that have affected the car’s performance earlier in the season. While Ferrari has shown promise in certain races, Leclerc warns that McLaren still holds a significant advantage.
“As much as the last two races were good, I think we’ve always been saying we need to be careful to not have wrong expectations because McLaren still have a better car than us, like quite a bit,” Leclerc explained. “We have some tracks that will be very close, some others where we’ll be further away.”
Despite Ferrari’s progress, Leclerc noted that the team has rarely had the fastest car, with exceptions like Monaco and Monza standing out as highlights in an otherwise challenging season.
Sainz Focuses on Ferrari’s Battle with Red Bull
Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, is determined to help Ferrari surpass Red Bull and position the team to capitalize should McLaren falter. Sainz recognizes McLaren as the clear favorite but remains optimistic that Ferrari can take advantage of any slip-ups from its rivals.
“McLaren definitely has the upper hand that they are the favourites for winning it,” Sainz said. “We still have Red Bull in our sights, and obviously McLaren, if they start going south or they start having problems, so we need to keep ourselves in it.”
While beating Red Bull to second in the Constructors’ standings would be a significant achievement given the reigning champions’ dominance last season, Sainz expects Red Bull to bounce back strongly with upgrades later in the year.
“It would show good resilience by the team after a tough part of the year where we gave up a lot of points and a lot of development curve there,” Sainz noted. “But Red Bull is going to come back strong with upgrades at the end of the season once they’ve understood what they did wrong with their car, so it’s not going to be easy to beat them either.”
Looking Ahead: Ferrari’s Focus on Consistency and Development
As Ferrari prepares for the remaining six races, the team’s focus will be on maximizing every opportunity and maintaining consistent results. Leclerc and Sainz’s performances will be crucial as the team looks to keep pace with McLaren and fend off a resurgent Red Bull. With both drivers acknowledging the challenges ahead, Ferrari’s path to a potential title will require resilience, strategy, and a bit of luck.
