Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur stated that there was still a chance for the Scuderia to challenge Max Verstappen for the Drivers’ Championship. Red Bull has been the dominant force in Formula 1 with the new ground-effect regulations. No other team has come close to matching the performance of Milton Keynes. This trend continued into the 2024 season, with Red Bull’s dominance on display. However, Ferrari’s Team Principal admitted that it was still too early to pose a serious threat to the reigning world champion.
Ferrari managed to end Red Bull’s nine-race winning streak at the Australian GP, showing promising results from the start of the season. The main goal for the Scuderia is to win the Constructors’ Championship, according to Vasseur. However, he also acknowledged that defeating Verstappen for the drivers’ championship might still be out of reach for Ferrari.
During the 2023 campaign, Ferrari had similarly promising results. However, issues with stability and strategy cost them crucial points, allowing Verstappen and Red Bull to come out on top. Maranello fell behind Mercedes in the standings last season. Therefore, Vasseur emphasized the importance of understanding the challenger and making the most of it, a task that Ferrari has yet to fully accomplish.
Ferrari is currently showing positive signs in terms of pace and performance. Vasseur praised the SF-24, stating that it is much easier to drive compared to its predecessor. The chassis is also more predictable and performs better in terms of tire degradation. These improvements suggest that Ferrari may have a chance at redeeming themselves from the issues they faced in 2023.
However, Vasseur acknowledged that not every weekend will be like Melbourne, where Verstappen retired early from the race. Ferrari will need to minimize mistakes and maintain the same level of dedication to secure victories. So far, the Italian Constructor has avoided any major mistakes and has been achieving impressive results throughout the season.
Scuderia Ferrari will strive to replicate their success in the upcoming races. However, Red Bull had a dominant performance during the previous Japanese weekend, making it a challenging task for Maranello to repeat their triumph in Melbourne.