RED BULL DOES NOT HAVE PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGE IN MIAMI GP
Max Verstappen was unable to catch and overtake Lando Norris after the Safety Car re-entry, allowing Norris to secure his first Formula 1 victory. It is worth noting that McLaren strategically delayed Norris’ pit stop and benefited from the Safety Car that was deployed to clear the accident caused by Kevin Magnussen, who collided with Logan Sargeant of Williams. As a result, Norris took the lead from Verstappen, who was already struggling to build a significant gap between him and his competitors after starting from pole position.
This situation was in contrast to the 2023 Miami race, where Verstappen started in ninth place and ended up winning. Ferrari secured a podium finish in Miami, with Charles Leclerc finishing third behind Norris and Verstappen. Additionally, Carlos Sainz denied Red Bull a victory in the opening race of the 2024 season in Melbourne, winning the race after Verstappen retired due to brake issues.
When asked if the events in Miami would be indicative of a trend for the 2024 season, Fred Vasseur responded by stating that he believes Red Bull is still ahead overall. He suggested that Verstappen could have won the race without the safety car intervention, highlighting Red Bull’s pole position as evidence of their slight advantage. However, Vasseur acknowledged that Ferrari has made significant progress compared to the previous year. He noted that Ferrari’s improved performance has put pressure on Red Bull, forcing them to adopt a more aggressive strategy. Vasseur emphasized that Ferrari is now capable of consistently challenging Red Bull.
Under Vasseur’s leadership, Ferrari has shown improvement in terms of strategy and race management. Their SF-24 car is also superior to its predecessor, offering better tire management. Vasseur sees this as an opportunity for Ferrari to further pressure Red Bull. He believes that, with additional updates and improvements, Ferrari will be in a strong position to compete with Red Bull in all races.
Although Ferrari has not yet introduced major updates to their car, they have plans to debut a package at the next race in Imola. In preparation, Ferrari conducted a filming day at their Fiorano track, testing their updates over a distance of 200 km before their official debut in Imola.
