A double-DNF in Canada was central to Ferrari’s failure to win the 2024 constructors’ championship, however crew principal Fred Vasseur says the response to such difficulties bodes effectively for the long run.
Ferrari misplaced out to McLaren by 14 factors within the constructors’ battle, lacking out on an opportunity to win the championship for the primary time since 2008. Vasseur says the general crew efficiency was a transparent signal of Ferrari’s progress in comparison with the earlier season however Canada stands out because the significantly expensive weekend after failing to attain.
“For positive it’s a little bit of a combined feeling, as a result of I believe that we did a very good step ahead in comparison with 2023, I’d say on each single pillar.” Vasseur mentioned. “Reliability was higher, the technique was good, pit stops went effectively, the efficiency was there. We scored 60 % extra factors than one 12 months in the past; we now have 5 wins towards one. I believe [by all metrics], it’s inexperienced.
“The one [negative] is that we completed the season 14 factors behind McLaren. Once more it’s not in Abu Dhabi that we misplaced one thing. On common in the course of the season, I believe McLaren scored 26, 27 factors per weekend, and we scored greater than this in Abu Dhabi. It’s most likely extra in Canada with double zero, or {the summertime} once we struggled just a little bit — Spain, UK, Austria.
“We struggled right here, and on this interval of 4 races, we misplaced one thing like 80 or 90 factors on McLaren. Additionally they have their downsides to the season. It’s like this when you’ve gotten 4 groups combating, that you’re all the time up and down. You have got a form of frustration the Sunday night in Abu Dhabi when you’re 14 factors behind McLaren. Over 600 [points each], it’s not that a lot.
The RACER Mailbag, December 25
The 2024 F1 team-by-team assessment
‘Boastful’ to view McLaren as favorites – Brown
“You probably have a have a look at this season, the primary race that got here to my thoughts once I mentioned, ‘OK we’re 14 factors behind,’ it’s Canada. Canada we had the double zero with a reliability situation on Charles [Leclerc’s car] and I believe a race incident for Carlos [Sainz], and I believe that McLaren didn’t have [any].
“McLaren had a race incident with [Oscar] Piastri, however … they rating factors, and when you’re in this sort of battle with 4 groups, in case you rating zero-zero it’s fairly robust to return again, which signifies that reliability is essential and we now have to keep away from the crashes. We had one or two crashes, however in this sort of championship that’s an excessive amount of.”
Regardless of the race in Montreal standing out to Vasseur, he was additionally impressed by Ferrari’s response because it fought again from a run of disappointing races to get so near profitable the title. Not solely did it present a robust understanding of the automobile’s issues, he says it’s reflective of a shift in tradition inside Maranello.
“I believe the strategy this 12 months, as a crew, was superb, even once we had the robust June, July,” he mentioned. “The response from the crew, as a crew, was superb. We by no means blame somebody or [any] division; we work collectively to return again, we work collectively to search out options between the totally different teams, and it went effectively.
“You may all the time say that it could have been higher to not have the problem, however I believe the response was good, and it’s what we’re additionally anticipating for the long run if we need to battle for the championship. And sure, it’s a part of what we need to have.
“If you find yourself making an attempt to repair a purpose for the crew it’s to work as a crew, to behave as a crew, to not blame somebody when we now have points. It’s straightforward to say, however it’s not straightforward to do when you’ve gotten the strain of the end result and the strain of the races. I used to be not there earlier than — I can’t choose on the previous — however I used to be very pleased with the response of the crew this 12 months.”
