Ferrari kicked off the 2024 season as the main competitors to Red Bull Racing after surpassing Mercedes. With nine podiums in the first eight races and a win for Carlos Sainz, the Scuderia appeared ready to challenge for the championship, trailing Red Bull by just 24 points.
However, after their 1-3 finish in Monaco, the upgrades introduced in Barcelona didn’t deliver the expected results, despite adding downforce. Charles Leclerc managed just one points finish, while Carlos Sainz fared slightly better, narrowing the points gap to Leclerc to four.
Overall, the situation is grim for Ferrari as rivals pull ahead. Mercedes scored 125 points since Monaco, McLaren 111, and Red Bull 97. Sainz, frustrated, requested to use the old car spec at Silverstone, which was reluctantly approved by team boss Fred Vasseur.
Leclerc also reverted to the old spec for FP3, but a disastrous qualifying saw him exit in Q2. Communication issues plagued Leclerc during the British Grand Prix, leading to a poor tire strategy that cost him significant time.
The Ferrari upgrades appear to suffer from ‘porpoising,’ a bouncing effect common in low suspension setups. This issue, also experienced by Mercedes last season, results from the car’s floor hitting the ground, breaking the ‘air seal’ and causing a loss of downforce.
Red Bull mastered their suspension in 2022, avoiding the bouncing problem. Ferrari’s current SF-24 might be facing a similar issue, forcing the team to decide whether to stick with the upgrade or return to the older configuration to develop new downforce solutions.
Carlos Sainz candidly admitted that the team lost ‘two or three months’ of development by reverting to the old spec. Despite Leclerc’s errors, Sainz executed excellent tire strategy at Silverstone but still finished significantly behind Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri.
Sainz has little hope for upcoming races in Hungary and Belgium, predicting more bouncing issues. He urged the team to alternate between the Imola floor and the new design, depending on the circuit needs, until a stable package is developed.
As Ferrari sits second in the Constructors’ Championship, their recent scoring rate suggests they will fall behind McLaren by their home Grand Prix in Monza, with Mercedes closing in. Ironically, Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes for Ferrari, but it seems Mercedes is now on an upward trajectory.
Ferrari’s season faces a crucial juncture. The team must decide whether to continue with problematic upgrades or revert to older specs to stay competitive. Their immediate future looks challenging, and the upcoming races will be pivotal in determining their championship hopes.
