Ferrari has proven vital enchancment all through the season, efficiently addressing the challenges they confronted with their SF-23 automotive, which was notably tough to deal with at instances final 12 months. The Italian workforce has regained its aggressive edge and is now locked in a fierce battle for his or her first Constructors’ Championship title since 2008, when Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen secured the crown.
Because the season nears its conclusion, Ferrari presently occupies second place within the standings, trailing McLaren by 24 factors with simply two races left. Whereas the hole isn’t insurmountable, they’ll want a stroke of luck to shut the gap and safe the championship. Gian Carlo Minardi, nevertheless, has expressed issues about Ferrari’s means to take care of the calm and composure wanted to grab the title from McLaren. With Max Verstappen already having clinched his fourth World Championship on the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the ultimate two races will probably be totally targeted on the Constructors’ Championship battle.
Eddie Jordan, talking on the *Components For Success* podcast, has criticized Ferrari for making a collection of poor selections all through the season, which he believes may finally forestall them from securing the title. He described a few of their latest performances as “shambolic,” pointing to missed alternatives and tactical blunders which have value them worthwhile factors.
Regardless of these setbacks, Ferrari has been one of the constant and profitable groups this 12 months, securing 5 race wins and commonly ending on the rostrum. Nevertheless, they’ve been lucky to keep away from penalties on a number of events, comparable to when Carlos Sainz escaped punishment for crossing a white line on the pit entry in the course of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Whereas minor errors like these might sound insignificant, they’ll accumulate over the course of a season and develop into essential in a title combat the place the margins are razor-thin.
Eddie Jordan emphasised that, in his opinion, just one workforce principal in latest historical past has been capable of persistently extract one of the best performances from Ferrari. He believes that the workforce continues to make pointless errors, which finally hampers their means to problem for the championship in a season the place each level is vital.
“I believe Luca di Montezemolo was about the one one who may management the workforce. However persistently, Ferrari have screwed up, haven’t they? They screw up with the flawed tyres. They screw up with this. I imply, it’s simply shambolic once in a while, and we expect it’s going to enhance.” – Eddie Jordan identified.
Ferrari has lengthy been stricken by pricey errors within the pit lane, a sample that stretches again to 1999, when Eddie Irvine misplaced worthwhile time attributable to a scarcity of decisiveness from the workforce in the course of the European Grand Prix. These sorts of errors, although seemingly small, have been recurring and have usually proved detrimental to the workforce’s pursuit of success. As Ferrari seems forward to the 2025 season, will probably be essential for them to eradicate such errors and refine their operations to make sure they’re totally ready to capitalize on the potential of their automotive and driver lineup. With the suitable changes, Ferrari may have a mixture able to combating for each the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles.
One of many key elements in Ferrari’s prospects for subsequent season is their driver lineup, which can characteristic Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton, who’s making the swap from Mercedes after a considerably disappointing conclusion to his storied profession with the workforce, will deliver a wealth of expertise and aggressive spirit to Ferrari. His transfer marks the tip of a chapter with Mercedes, the place he had been since 2013, securing quite a few championships however finally falling quick in latest seasons. Now, at Ferrari, Hamilton has an opportunity to rejuvenate his profession and pursue a record-breaking eighth world title.
For Charles Leclerc, the arrival of the British driver may understandably be a supply of apprehension. The presence of a driver of Lewis Hamilton’s caliber may create inside competitors, however each drivers must be greater than able to competing for victories and pushing one another to excel. The workforce, at the least initially, is not going to have a transparent primary driver, which may foster a extra balanced and harmonious surroundings, significantly within the early phases of the season. This setup could possibly be advantageous, as it might enable each drivers to deal with performing to one of the best of their skills with out the strain of getting to defer to a single dominant determine inside the workforce.
Nevertheless, the scenario isn’t with out its time constraints. Lewis Hamilton will probably be 40 by the point the 2025 season begins, and his tenure at Ferrari is unlikely to increase far past that. The Italian workforce might want to act shortly, capitalizing on the veteran’s expertise whereas additionally fostering a aggressive ambiance for Charles Leclerc to flourish. If Ferrari needs to take advantage of the seven-time Components 1 world champion’s ultimate years on the peak of his profession, they need to make sure the automotive is tailor-made to his wants, particularly when it comes to rear-end stability, which has been a key consider his success over time. Solely by attaining this will Ferrari hope to ship the type of outcomes which may enable Hamilton to safe his eighth title and depart an enduring legacy with the Scuderia.