Ferrari achieved a fourth and fifth place finish at the 2024 Chinese GP, according to reports. The McLarens appeared to outperform the Ferraris throughout the race, with the Papaya team securing pole position in the sprint race and a strong second place finish in the main Grand Prix. This unexpected performance from the Papaya team has surprised the Prancing Horses, who have typically been the second-best team behind Red Bull this season. Following their disappointing finishes, it has been highlighted that Ferrari needs to improve in order to stay ahead of McLaren in future races. Throughout the Chinese GP weekend, Ferrari was notably slower than the Woking-based team in terms of pure pace. A team member stated that McLaren has demonstrated a better rhythm on this type of circuit and that Ferrari needs to perform better in the next race.
Carlos Sainz, a Ferrari driver, expressed his surprise at McLaren’s strong performance in Shanghai and emphasized the need for his team to step up in upcoming races. Ferrari is preparing to introduce a major upgrade package at Imola as they strive to compete with Red Bull. The lack of performance displayed by Ferrari in China was unexpected for fans and drivers alike. While one Ferrari driver managed to secure a fourth-place finish, the team as a whole was significantly slower than their competitors. After the race, one of the drivers, Charles Leclerc, explained that Ferrari had not used the hard tire throughout the weekend until the final phase of the race. This change in tire choice contributed to Ferrari’s lack of performance, which came as a surprise to the team. Despite this setback, Ferrari currently holds second place in the Constructors standings with 151 points, while McLaren is steadily closing the gap in third place with 55 points behind.