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Ferrari set to bring 'last' upgrade to car in final championship bid
The Singapore Grand Prix weekend was far from ideal for Ferrari. Fifth for Charles Leclerc and seventh for Carlos Sainz was a disappointing result for the Scuderia, especially amid a three-way battle for the constructor's title with McLaren and Red Bull. How will Ferrari outscore their rivals heading into the final six rounds of the season? Team boss Fred Vasseur spoke of a final 'small' upgrade this season before Ferrari put their full focus on development for 2025.
The Italian team haven't won a constructors championship since 2008 and now sits 75 points behind long-time Formula 1 rivals McLaren in first place. Red Bull is sandwiched in between the two, 41 points behind McLaren. Although they sit on the fringes, there is still an opportunity for Ferrari to win 2024's championship. In a tantalisingly close season, a well-executed upgrade could be all Ferrari needs in their championship push. After the race in Singapore, Vasseur revealed that one more upgrade is expected after the mini-break.
Vasseur: 'It's the last upgrade for us'
"We all know that we have already started the development of the car next year. We try to do our best to have small upgrades on the next one, and I think it's probably the last one for everybody, that is true for us, but I'm not sure about the other teams. Now it's so tight, not today the race, but overall, the last four, five, six races, you have a look on the grid, it's pretty tight, and every single bit can make a difference," the Frenchman said.
Ferrari limited damage in Singapore with fifth and seventh. Carlos Sainz had to start from 10th place after a qualifying crash, and Charles Leclerc started from 9th after his final lap time was deleted. On a track where overtaking is difficult, Vasseur was content with the result.
Vasseur: 'We had a good strategy in Singapore'
"Start soft, you can make one position, but at the end of the day, if you want to be aggressive, you will pit lap 12 or 15 like Lewis (Hamilton) did, but you don't have another choice because you have to pit lap 12 because you are stuck to start with medium. But we have the opportunity to extend. The scenario of the race was a big difference, and I think it was a good strategy. The fact that we splitted the car to do an early stop and then another one we extended was also a good call, I think. And it went pretty well due to the track position." Vasseur concluded.
Can Ferrari optimise the remainder of the season and become constructors champions? It will be a huge challenge for the Italian team, but it can't be ruled out just yet.
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28 September 2024
