F1: Ferrari and the "post-euphoria" syndrome
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Ferrari continues to make mistakes in a Formula 1 season where there's no room for error. The Singapore Grand Prix night race likely showcased the most overwhelming display of dominance by the Lando Norris / McLaren duo in the current championship. Even in the Dutch Grand Prix, the British driver led the race from start to finish, but his less-than-ideal start from pole position forced him to "earn" the lead by overtaking Max Verstappen on track. In the recent Asian round, this wasn't necessary, as the British driver delivered a flawless start and a perfect first lap.
The Englishman put on a show with unbeatable lap times, despite two errors that could have proven very costly. As the lights went out at Marina Bay, Formula 1 entered a three-week “hibernation,” a second break after the summer, during which, however, teams won't be resting. The next world championship round, scheduled for October 20th in Austin at the Circuit of the Americas, will be a pivotal moment of the season. All teams with remaining budgets will introduce their final aerodynamic upgrade packages of the 2024 Formula 1 season for their cars.
In this regard, the period of no on-track activity is a blessing for Red Bull, which continues to fight for the Formula 1 driver's title. Much of the credit goes to its exceptional Dutch superstar, who is going above and beyond to limit the damage, especially after the summer break. However, Ferrari won't be part of this title fight unless there are some major surprises. After their thrilling victory in the home race at the Monza circuit with Charles Leclerc celebrating on the top spot of the podium alongside the Tifosi, the historic Italian team had what it took to begin a winning streak that could have kept their championship hopes alive, both in the driver and constructor standings.
But between the rounds at the Baku City Circuit and in Singapore, too many mistakes were once again made, which have tempered the ambitions of the Prancing Horse. Sure, perfection is required against this McLaren, but we are still talking about a rival that hasn't won anything significant since ancient times, despite having drivers as fast as Ferrari's own. This season has taken a surprising, unexpected turn, offering the rivals of the Milton Keynes team an incredible opportunity to aim for something bigger than just winning individual races. That's why Ferrari’s absence in the summer months is felt so heavily.
One constant in the season for the Maranello team has been their loud crashes back to reality after each of their three victories. After Carlos Sainz's win at the Albert park circuit in the Australian Grand Prix, they followed it up with a respectable performance in Japan, but still far from Red Bull, at a time when the Austrian team was cruising comfortably through the championship. Then, Charles Leclerc's impressive victory on the streets of his home was quickly overshadowed by a disastrous weekend at the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit in Montreal, where Ferrari undoubtedly delivered their worst performance of the 2024 Formula 1 campaign.
A race that resulted in a double disaster. On one side, car number 16 was forced to retire due to technical issues, while on the other, the Spanish driver’s SF-24 car collided with Alexander Albon’s Williams in the second sector of the North American circuit. After Charles Leclerc's victory in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the back-to-back races between the Azerbaijan and Malaysian rounds saw the Italian team squander a realistic chance to compete for the constructors’ title. These were two Formula 1 races where Charles Leclerc could have secured victories, but as we know, those wins never came.
It is also worth pointing out that at the moment the Italian team is suffering from Carlos Sainz’s poor form, as he hasn’t made it to the podium since the chaotic Austrian Grand Prix. Since the race at the Red Bull Ring, Carlos Sainz has only managed to score 55 points compared to Charles Leclerc's 95. This is largely due to the controversial collision with Sergio Perez in the closing stages of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and the costly mistake during the final qualifying session last weekend that left him struggling mid-pack during the race which was held at the 4.94-kilometre Marina Bay Street Circuit. It's not about placing blame on the son of the two-time rally world champion, though the facts and figures speak for themselves.
There's a strange feeling that, within the Ferrari team, someone seems to "switch off" at critical moments. In Baku, the power of Oscar Piastri’s undercut was underestimated, with Ferrari confident they could regain track position without overtaxing their tires. Meanwhile, everything was compromised during Saturday’s qualifying session at Marina Bay. Even if Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz might have had to bow to Lando Norris' impressive pace and dominance regardless of the starting positions, considering Charles Leclerc's race performance once he found clear track, we remember how the Monegasque showed pace to fight at the top with the British driver.
Unfortunately, in Formula 1, "what ifs" don't lead anywhere. This raises a natural question: is Ferrari truly ready to compete at the highest level? Charles Leclerc has shown he’s ready to take the final step in his career, that of winning a Formula 1 world championship; the same can't yet be said for the Maranello team, which continues to face challenges in developing the SF-24 and still shows some weaknesses in race operations. These mistakes will likely force them, once again, to shelve their dreams of glory, now faded by the passage of time.
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