Charles Leclerc achieved a fourth place in the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix. Leclerc and Fred Vasseur turned their luck around this season by focusing on the strategy department. Their efforts seemed to pay off, as the races in Australia and Japan earned praise for Scuderia for their development. However, this development was questioned in the Chinese GP, and the reason behind it was explained.
Most of the grid, including the race winner, opted for two stops due to high tire wear in Shanghai. On the other hand, Ferrari improved tire degradation with the SF-24 and is known for their bold strategic calls in the 2024 season. However, Leclerc questioned the bold one-stop strategy during the 53-lap race.
Vasseur dismissed questions about Leclerc’s lack of confidence in the strategy. He stated that Leclerc questioned the team when they were undecided between choosing a one or two-stop strategy. This happened before the safety car phase, when circumstances were different.
Despite Leclerc’s uncertainty, the strategy seemed to work well as he finished just a few seconds behind the race winner. He also consistently finished among the top four in all races this season.
The team had hopes for a strong Ferrari performance at the Shanghai International Circuit. However, both Leclerc and his teammate qualified in sixth and seventh places on the grid, making the race more challenging than expected.
Leclerc shared his thoughts on the weekend, stating that they had hoped for a better performance in the race but struggled at this circuit. They need to evaluate their setup and make improvements to the car for this type of circuit. Leclerc focused on maintaining his position and managed to hold off Russell on new tires.
Sainz, after a below-par performance in qualifying, faced constant pressure from behind. Despite opting for a one-stop strategy, he quickly faced a challenge from another driver to secure a top-five result. Sainz was unable to maintain his podium streak but was pleased with the result considering the performance of the SF-24 in Shanghai.
