Ferrari has proven vital enchancment all through the season, efficiently addressing the challenges they confronted with their SF-23 automotive, which was notably troublesome to deal with at instances final yr. The Italian staff has regained its aggressive edge and is now locked in a fierce battle for his or her first Constructors’ Championship title since 2008, when Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen secured the crown.
Because the season nears its conclusion, Ferrari at the moment occupies second place within the standings, trailing McLaren by 24 factors with simply two races left. Whereas the hole just isn’t insurmountable, they’ll want a stroke of luck to shut the space and safe the championship. Gian Carlo Minardi, nevertheless, has expressed considerations about Ferrari’s capability to take care of the calm and composure wanted to grab the title from McLaren. With Max Verstappen already having clinched his fourth World Championship on the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the ultimate two races will likely be completely centered on the Constructors’ Championship battle.
Eddie Jordan, talking on the *System For Success* podcast, has criticized Ferrari for making a collection of poor choices all through the season, which he believes may finally forestall them from securing the title. He described a few of their current performances as “shambolic,” pointing to missed alternatives and tactical blunders which have value them useful factors.
Regardless of these setbacks, Ferrari has been one of the crucial constant and profitable groups this yr, securing 5 race wins and commonly ending on the rostrum. Nevertheless, they’ve been lucky to keep away from penalties on a number of events, reminiscent of when Carlos Sainz escaped punishment for crossing a white line on the pit entry in the course of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Whereas minor errors like these may appear insignificant, they will accumulate over the course of a season and develop into essential in a title struggle the place the margins are razor-thin.
Eddie Jordan emphasised that, in his opinion, just one staff principal in current historical past has been in a position to constantly extract the perfect performances from Ferrari. He believes that the staff continues to make pointless errors, which finally hampers their capability to problem for the championship in a season the place each level is important.
“I believe Luca di Montezemolo was about the one one who may management the staff. However constantly, Ferrari have screwed up, haven’t they? They screw up with the mistaken tyres. They screw up with this. I imply, it’s simply shambolic infrequently, and we expect it’s going to enhance.” – Eddie Jordan identified.
Ferrari has lengthy been stricken by expensive errors within the pit lane, a sample that stretches again to 1999, when Eddie Irvine misplaced useful time as a consequence of an absence of decisiveness from the staff in the course of the European Grand Prix. These sorts of errors, although seemingly small, have been recurring and have typically proved detrimental to the staff’s pursuit of success. As Ferrari seems to be forward to the 2025 season, it will likely be essential for them to remove such errors and refine their operations to make sure they’re totally ready to capitalize on the potential of their automotive and driver lineup. With the precise changes, Ferrari may have a mix able to preventing for each the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles.
One of many key elements in Ferrari’s prospects for subsequent season is their driver lineup, which can function Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton, who’s making the change from Mercedes after a considerably disappointing conclusion to his storied profession with the staff, will deliver a wealth of expertise and aggressive spirit to Ferrari. His transfer marks the top of a chapter with Mercedes, the place he had been since 2013, securing quite a few championships however finally falling brief in current seasons. Now, at Ferrari, Hamilton has an opportunity to rejuvenate his profession and pursue a record-breaking eighth world title.
For Charles Leclerc, the arrival of the British driver may understandably be a supply of apprehension. The presence of a driver of Lewis Hamilton’s caliber may create inner competitors, however each drivers must be greater than able to competing for victories and pushing one another to excel. The staff, a minimum of initially, is not going to have a transparent primary driver, which may foster a extra balanced and harmonious setting, notably within the early phases of the season. This setup might be advantageous, as it will enable each drivers to give attention to performing to the perfect of their talents with out the strain of getting to defer to a single dominant determine throughout the staff.
Nevertheless, the state of affairs just isn’t with out its time constraints. Lewis Hamilton will likely be 40 by the point the 2025 season begins, and his tenure at Ferrari is unlikely to increase far past that. The Italian staff might want to act shortly, capitalizing on the veteran’s expertise whereas additionally fostering a aggressive ambiance for Charles Leclerc to flourish. If Ferrari desires to benefit from the seven-time System 1 world champion’s closing years on the peak of his profession, they need to make sure the automotive is tailor-made to his wants, particularly when it comes to rear-end stability, which has been a key think about his success through the years. Solely by reaching this may Ferrari hope to ship the form of outcomes that may enable Hamilton to safe his eighth title and go away a long-lasting legacy with the Scuderia.