There are only three races left in the F1 season.
While many things have remained the same since 2024, with Red Bull leading the constructors’ championship and Max Verstappen leading the drivers’ standings, recent events have shaken up the field a bit. Mercedes is struggling, McLaren is doing well and Ferrari is steadily closing the gap on Red Bull.
And a fascinating battle has begun in the midfield, with Visa Cash App RB F1 Team currently in the lead thanks to Yuki Tsunoda’s strong drive at the Australian Grand Prix.
With so much at stake and a short break until the Japanese Grand Prix, now is a good time to take stock of where each team is at the moment. But rather than a simple review, we’ll take a look at the biggest issues facing each team right now.
So far, most of the questions have been about the negative aspects of bookkeeping. Earlier this week we looked at Alpine and asked how quickly a team in desperate need of progress could progress. He also asked if Sauber could solve the pitstop problems that have plagued them in the first three races of the season.
On Wednesday, we asked whether Williams would face a hangover after everything we went through in Australia, whether Haas really got rid of last season’s biggest gremlin, and yes, how hot is the seat under Daniel Ricciardo? , he asked.
Thursday started with Aston Martin. Next, we turned to power unit supplier Mercedes. It’s certainly early, but is it already too late for the Silver Arrows?
But by Thursday afternoon, the questions had turned positive. The first question is whether McLaren can maintain its hot start.
Now we move on to perhaps the most positive question.
Ferrari: Can they beat Red Bull?
It’s not as far-fetched an idea as it might first seem.
There were signs that Ferrari could mount a serious challenge this year, going back to pre-season testing. Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc achieved a one-two finish on the timesheets, and pre-season test results always have to be taken with a grain of salt, but the Ferrari duo recorded times using the following tire compounds: did. Week — still a strong performance.
More importantly, drivers felt far more confident in the SF-24 than in its predecessor. SF-23.
“The car is responding the way we wanted it to, but it’s still difficult to assess its level of competitiveness at the moment. It feels better than the base we started with last year. It’s all about racing now. I’m in the middle of it and can’t wait to get back on the course next week.” Leclerc said after the test:.
“We are satisfied with what we were able to achieve in this test, both in terms of mileage and the large amount of data obtained. What’s more, both Charles and Carlos were satisfied with the way things were going. Technical It was a problem-free and productive three days, which is what you want most, especially in the only session before the start of the season.” Added Team representative Frédéric Vasseur.
“Our first goal was to see if the SF-24 behaved as expected, was not overly sensitive to changes in external conditions, and was easy to drive. If you look at the consistency of performance, it seems we have succeeded on this front,” continued the Ferrari boss. “Having the car behave this way is very important. It means the driver can immediately understand the characteristics of the car and get the most out of it.”
The bigger question, of course, was what happens when it really takes time.
The following week, Ferrari qualified in second place with Leclerc in second place, with Sainz behind him in fourth place. In the race itself, Sainz took the final podium spot following a one-two for Red Bull, but Leclerc’s fourth place finish was certainly noteworthy. The Ferrari driver struggled with the brakes in the early stages of the race, frequently complaining from the early stages that his SF-24 would pull to the right under braking, but he remained calm and patient.
As conditions eased in the second half of the race, Leclerc led his team to a strong finish, showing signs of growth and maturity as a driver. This was reminiscent of much of his performance in the 2023 finale. He worked through different scoring permutations as the laps went on in Abu Dhabi, trying to find a way to give Ferrari second place in the constructors’ championship.
And in Saudi Arabia, it was another strong weekend for the team, albeit under difficult circumstances. With Sainz facing an emergency appendectomy due to appendicitis, reserve driver Olly Bearman (all 18 years old) is back in the SF-24 for his first F1 qualifying session after just an hour of practice. I got into the.
He advanced to Q2 and started 11th at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
In the race itself Leclerc took his third podium after Red Bull’s one-two, but on his debut Bearman finished seventh, earning him an important six points for the team. What’s more impressive? The young driver kept his compatriots Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton at bay in the closing stages despite being on older tires.
Next came Australia. There were signs earlier in the week that Ferrari would pose a serious challenge to Red Bull. race pace simulation The Scuderia showed they can really give Red Bull a fight. And while Max Verstappen was denied pole position, Sainz claimed second alongside Verstappen just over two weeks after surgery. With Leclerc starting fifth, Ferrari is now in a position to pick up even more points.
In the race itself, it didn’t take long for Sainz to overtake Verstappen. Just the second lap of the Australian Grand Prix, when Sainz passed his former Toro Rosso teammate and Verstappen’s RB20 started smoking from the right rear, it was clear the door to a crimson afternoon in Melbourne had opened. Ta.
Verstappen will retire and Sainz will move on to victory. But not to be outdone, Leclerc also grabbed a lot of spots, giving Ferrari a one-two.
The grid now heads towards Japan, with Ferrari sitting just four points behind Red Bull. Constructors’ Championship.
Of course, it’s still early days. There are only three races left in the 24-race marathon. We’ve seen ‘challengers’ to Red Bull before, such as Aston Martin a season ago. That was the case two years ago. Ferrari posed a big threat in the early stagesas the Scuderia actually led Red Bull after four races.
A series of blunders and injuries will spell doom for the team and cost former team principal Mattia Binotto his position.
That may be why Vasseur warned this week that his team is struggling and needs to maintain a cautious outlook.
“I’m not disappointed with the results in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and I’m not crazy about this one-two finish,” Vasseur said. “We have to continue this approach in the upcoming races, because that is the only way to get the results we want.”
Still, for a sport and a fan base that aspires to a title fight, it’s hard not to dream. The past two seasons have seen Red Bull drop down the order, leaving little doubt that they will be at the front of the grid week after week. Given the growth Ferrari has shown from last season to this point, how well both Sainz and Leclerc are performing at the moment, and how comfortable they look in the SF-24, it was a dream come true for Ferrari fans. I can’t blame him. .
