In the recent Shanghai event of the 2024 Formula 1 season, Ferrari, despite being the second-best team thus far, failed to meet expectations. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, who had consistently secured podium finishes in the previous races, qualified sixth and seventh, respectively, trailing Max Verstappen by six tenths.
Although Leclerc and Sainz managed to advance past George Russell of Mercedes and Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin to secure fourth and fifth positions, they fell short of challenging Lando Norris of McLaren, who secured a convincing second place.
Team principal Vasseur attributed Ferrari’s performance to numerous mistakes made in optimizing their package for the challenging Shanghai circuit, particularly due to its unusual tarmac coating. Vasseur emphasized the importance of perfection in a highly competitive field where small details could make a significant difference.
During the race, both Ferraris struggled for grip at the start, losing positions to Russell and briefly to Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg. A mid-race safety car further complicated matters for Sainz, who had already made his pitstop for hard tires, putting him at a disadvantage in terms of tire life compared to his competitors.
Vasseur noted that Ferrari struggled more on the hard compound tires than on the mediums they started the race on, indicating an area for further investigation. Despite the challenges posed by Shanghai’s track conditions and the limited practice time due to the sprint format, Vasseur refrained from making excuses, emphasizing the need for Ferrari to extract the best performance from their resources and preparation.
