Ferrari has proven vital enchancment all through the season, efficiently addressing the challenges they confronted with their SF-23 automobile, which was notably troublesome to deal with at instances final yr. The Italian group 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 presently occupies second place within the standings, trailing McLaren by 24 factors with simply two races left. Whereas the hole just isn’t insurmountable, they are going to want a stroke of luck to shut the space and safe the championship. Gian Carlo Minardi, nonetheless, has expressed considerations about Ferrari’s capacity 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 might be solely centered on the Constructors’ Championship battle.
Eddie Jordan, talking on the *Formulation For Success* podcast, has criticized Ferrari for making a collection of poor selections all through the season, which he believes may in the end 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 price them precious factors.
Regardless of these setbacks, Ferrari has been one of the crucial constant and profitable groups this yr, securing 5 race wins and recurrently ending on the rostrum. Nevertheless, they’ve been lucky to keep away from penalties on a number of events, akin to when Carlos Sainz escaped punishment for crossing a white line on the pit entry throughout the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Whereas minor errors like these may appear insignificant, they’ll accumulate over the course of a season and develop into essential in a title battle the place the margins are razor-thin.
Eddie Jordan emphasised that, in his opinion, just one group principal in current historical past has been capable of persistently extract one of the best performances from Ferrari. He believes that the group continues to make pointless errors, which in the end hampers their capacity to problem for the championship in a season the place each level is essential.
“I feel Luca di Montezemolo was about the one one who may management the group. However persistently, Ferrari have screwed up, haven’t they? They screw up with the fallacious tyres. They screw up with this. I imply, it’s simply shambolic once in a while, and we predict 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 precious time resulting from a scarcity of decisiveness from the group throughout the European Grand Prix. These sorts of errors, although seemingly small, have been recurring and have usually proved detrimental to the group’s pursuit of success. As Ferrari appears to be like forward to the 2025 season, it is going to be essential for them to eradicate such errors and refine their operations to make sure they’re totally ready to capitalize on the potential of their automobile and driver lineup. With the correct changes, Ferrari may have a mix able to preventing for each the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles.
One of many key components 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 group, will carry 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 in the end falling quick 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 would possibly create inner competitors, however each drivers must be greater than able to competing for victories and pushing one another to excel. The group, at the least initially, is not going to have a transparent primary driver, which may foster a extra balanced and harmonious atmosphere, significantly within the early levels of the season. This setup may very well be advantageous, as it will enable each drivers to deal with performing to one of the best of their talents with out the stress of getting to defer to a single dominant determine inside the group.
Nevertheless, the scenario just isn’t with out its time constraints. Lewis Hamilton might be 40 by the point the 2025 season begins, and his tenure at Ferrari is unlikely to increase far past that. The Italian group might want to act shortly, capitalizing on the veteran’s expertise whereas additionally fostering a aggressive environment for Charles Leclerc to flourish. If Ferrari desires to benefit from the seven-time Formulation 1 world champion’s closing years on the peak of his profession, they need to make sure the automobile is tailor-made to his wants, particularly by way of rear-end stability, which has been a key consider his success through the years. Solely by reaching this may Ferrari hope to ship the type of outcomes which may enable Hamilton to safe his eighth title and go away a long-lasting legacy with the Scuderia.