A final evolution for Ferrari in Austin to clinch the title

Ferrari intends to fight to the end. Despite a more difficult weekend in Singapore where the Italian team failed to place one of its cars on the podium, something it had achieved in the last four races, the Maranello team still aims to win the constructors’ title at the end of the season. While all the attention is focused on the battle between McLaren and Red Bull, as well as between Norris and Verstappen, Ferrari is only 75 points behind the Woking team and could take advantage of this intense competition in the last six races of the season to surpass them. To do so, the Italian team plans to introduce many new features starting from the Austin Grand Prix.

The latest developments in Austin to play for first place

Although this will bring even more performance to the single-seater, Ferrari’s boss, Frédéric Vasseur, indicated that these will be the latest innovations introduced in 2024, with the team now focusing on the 2025 car to try to catch up with the top two teams. “We all know that we have already started developing the next car, and we are trying our best to have small improvements at the next race. I think this will probably be the last update for everyone; it will be true for us, but also for the other teams,” explained the Frenchman to the media, including Autosport. Nevertheless, even though these developments are not significant and will probably not allow the car to gain several tenths directly, Vasseur revealed the importance of these improvements in such a tightly contested field as this year’s.

« Now, everything is very tight in the last four or five, six races. If you look at the grid, it becomes tight and every little detail can make the difference. We know that the battle is tight, and we have to stay vigilant.

Evolution to make people forget Singapore

Ferrari’s objective will therefore be to optimize this latest package of improvements to the maximum during the last six races, after a Singapore Grand Prix where it lost points to its rivals. A disappointing performance due to failed qualifying sessions, with both drivers not even completing a lap in Q3: Sainz losing control of his car in the final corner, while Leclerc saw his time invalidated after exceeding track limits. The team had to opt for different strategies between the two drivers, with Sainz making an early pit stop to have a clear track ahead of him and undercut some cars, while Leclerc extended his race stint to make only one pit stop.

Two strategies that worked, as they finished fifth and seventh respectively. Vasseur even wanted to explain these choices at the end of the Grand Prix. “By starting with the softs, you may be able to gain a position. But if you want to be aggressive, you will have to pit at the 12th or 15th lap as Lewis [Hamilton] did – you have no other choice. At least, by starting with the mediums, we had the opportunity to extend; the race scenario was a bit different and I think it was a good strategy.”

« The fact that we divided the cars with an early pit stop and another one that extended was also a good decision, I think, and it went rather well due to the position on the track during the relay. The result of the weekend was not what we had hoped for, but we delivered a good race performance. The strategy and pit stops were well executed, which shows the team’s strength. »

As the end of the season approaches and all the points collected will be crucial, Ferrari is counting on its latest innovations to win races, continue to progress in order to consider more serenely the 2025 season, where it hopes to be the dominant team. Note that Red Bull also plans to bring some new features to the United States in order to catch up with McLaren, who seems to be heading straight for the constructors’ title this season, forcing the other teams to work even harder, as Ferrari and Red Bull are seeking to do.