Ferrari has been on an upward trajectory for two years, and the Italian team intends to continue to climb. Third in the Manufacturers' championship in 2023, second in 2024, the Prancing Horse has made good progress since the arrival of Frédéric Vasseur at its head. This year, the Scuderia fought for the title until the last meeting, in Abu Dhabi, but did not manage to make up for the gap it had fallen on McLaren during the season. If the Maranello team fell just 14 points short of a world crown, the director of the Scuderia still retains a lot of positives from this 2024 campaign with clear progress compared to previous seasons.
“It was a good season for us, of course there were ups and downs, but with more ups than downs, confides the French leader in an interview with the official Formula 1 website. We had a better season than in 2023, we are going in the right direction. I think we have improved in every aspect of performance, whether it is reliability, strategy, pit stops or pure performance. We achieved five victories against one [en 2023]we scored 60% more points in 2024 compared to 2023. Everything is going in the right direction. »
“Obviously we missed the last step, but when we arrived in Abu Dhabi, the percentage chance of winning [le titre Constructeurs] was very weak, underlines Frédéric Vasseur regarding the duel lost against McLaren in the championship. But it wasn't in Abu Dhabi that we lost [le titre]. It's more in Canada where we had a double zero (double retirement for Leclerc and Sainz, Editor's note) and during the summer that we missed it. »
« If you don't take risks, you're dead.”
In 2025, the Scuderia will try to ride this positive wave and maintain the excellent momentum of the end of the 2024 season. However, in addition to the highly anticipated arrival of Lewis Hamilton at Maranello, Ferrari is expected to hire a completely new car next year, by not just releasing a simple evolution of the SF-24. A big risk that Frédéric Vasseur is ready to take given the rather unique situation in 2025, where all the teams will have to focus very early on 2026 and the introduction of the new technical regulations.
“Everyone is going to take risks. If you don't take risks, you're dead, recalls the boss of the Scuderia. We know that the development of this car is not easy, because the further we go in the development, the more difficult it is. We also have to take risks because 2025 will be a bit of a strange season: we will have to turn to the 2026 project quite early, which means that the car we put on track in Bahrain will be crucial. We will have to cut his development much earlier than in previous seasons. If you are nowhere at the start of the season [2025]it will be difficult to react. » If the 2025 concept is missed, then fans could have a very long season next year. On the other hand, it is successful, the Scuderia could be in the running for a first Constructors' title since 2008… Double or nothing.
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