Charles Leclerc has highlighted Ferrari’s pivotal enchancment in sustaining emotional management all through the 2024 F1 season, which performed an important position of their success.
The long-lasting Maranello crew clinched 5 victories and completed second within the Constructors’ Championship, partaking in a fierce battle with McLaren for the title, which in the end got here all the way down to the ultimate race in Abu Dhabi.
Regardless of narrowly lacking out on the championship, the Italian aspect had a extremely optimistic 2024 System 1 marketing campaign. The Maranello crew confronted a major mid-season setback after an aerodynamic improve to the SF-24 launched on the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona led to a decline by way of efficiency, costing them useful factors throughout a number of races whereas they labored to handle the difficulty. As soon as the basis reason for the issue was recognized and glued, Ferrari bounced again strongly. Charles Leclerc believes that whereas the mid-season “gap” they fell into could have in the end value them the title, he doesn’t really feel regretful about what might have been completed in a different way.
“Wanting again at it, I’m happy with the season,” the Monegasque driver mentioned in a current interview for the morning every day newspaper New York Instances. “I feel it’s not been fairly often the place I look again and I really feel like there’s been little or no missed alternatives.” – he identified.
“There was a gap of efficiency after Monaco for 2, three races the place we had an improve that didn’t work correctly, and we needed to put the automobile in locations that we didn’t wish to put it, however we needed to study one thing out of it. We’re within the place we’re in now, as a result of now we have gone via these things for 2, three races. So I wouldn’t change that, and I feel we did the correct selection as a crew, so placing every part collectively, I feel it’s been a optimistic season. I feel on the finish of the day, now we have simply missed efficiency, particularly firstly of the season, with the intention to be combating for higher issues. However I feel by way of the crew maximising what we had, we did a extremely good job.” – the Ferrari man continued.
Following Ferrari’s robust end to the 2024 System 1 season, the legendary pink crew is extensively thought to be one of many prime contenders for subsequent yr. This label of being a possible favourite was additionally hooked up to Ferrari earlier than the beginning of this season, after a promising conclusion to 2023. Nonetheless, the Maranello crew initially struggled to match the tempo of Crimson Bull, falling brief within the early levels of the marketing campaign.
When requested whether or not Ferrari has one thing new in retailer for the winter with the intention to reside as much as these excessive expectations, Charles Leclerc acknowledged the problem of predicting their efficiency. He defined, “It’s a really troublesome query to reply, as a result of System 1 is in the end a relative sport, and we will solely actually know the specifics of what we’re doing ourselves. I’ve excellent confidence that we’re doing every part proper for the time being, and as a crew, we’re much more strong. I’m not talking actually a lot in regards to the technical a part of it, that once more, every part is relative, and we don’t know if Crimson Bull or McLaren have been specializing in subsequent yr’s automobile and located one thing very particular for subsequent yr’s automobile. So it is extremely troublesome to say something on that matter. We’re simply specializing in ourselves and attempting to the absolute best job.” – the Monegasque driver added.
Scuderia Ferrari’s restoration after a troublesome mid-season stretch highlighted a major shift underneath the management of crew principal Frederic Vasseur. Traditionally, when challenges arose, Ferrari typically struggled to get better, however this time, all the crew labored collectively to beat the adversity.
Charles Leclerc attributes this variation to the truth that the crew’s mechanics and engineers are now not as “emotionally affected” by setbacks, which he believes was a significant situation up to now as a result of emotional weight of the Ferrari model.
Charles Leclerc defined that the mentality throughout the crew and their method to work has considerably improved, making them a way more strong and cohesive unit. He acknowledged that Ferrari has at all times been pushed by immense ardour, which has motivated everybody to place in additional effort and try for enchancment. Nonetheless, he identified that previously, the robust emotional connection to the model typically made crew members extra affected when issues went improper, a phenomenon much less obvious in different groups.
The Monegasque emphasised that though the fervour stays robust inside Ferrari, the crew is now far much less emotionally influenced by exterior pressures or inner challenges, a growth he considers a really optimistic step ahead.
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