It’s been more than 15 years since Ferrari won a constructors’ championship or had one of its drivers crowned world champion. More than 15 years, in short, since the Scuderia has seriously aspired to the top of Formula 1, stuck some behind Mercedes, some behind Red Bull.
It is not necessarily this season that the legendary team will return to its domination of the 2000s. But the signs of a comeback are clear.
Last year, when it landed in Montreal, nothing seemed to be working at Ferrari, sitting fourth in the standings, 177 points (!) behind leading Red Bull.
In an individual sport, it is not uncommon to hear athletes talk about their progress. Their gain in skills, maturity, experience…
With one voice, on Thursday, the Monegasque and the Spaniard rather justified their current successes in the simplest way possible: by the car they drive.
“All the drivers are performing at a high level,” Sainz analyzed. The difference is the car. Having the best car on Sunday [race day, Editor’s note] is what makes us look good. »
“As a driver, you can’t make such a big leap like that, unless you drove really badly last year,” added Leclerc. It goes back to the work of our team who, I think, have had a very good approach over the last seven or eight months and have been quick to identify the gaps on the car. »
The 2024 Italian single-seater is thus “more easily maneuverable and faster” than last year. And the results go hand in hand.
The 2023 campaign was Frédéric Vasseur’s first as Ferrari chief executive, following the resignation of Mattia Binotto.
The French engineer brought with him a touch of audacity, notes Charles Leclerc.
Under his leadership, “the decisions were often the right ones,” he believes.
Not everything is perfect, however. The car still needs improvement, especially in low-speed corners, Leclerc illustrated. “That’s probably the main shortcoming, but it’s not the only one,” he insisted. “A lot of little details, ultimately, make the difference.”
There are also unknowns. The 2024 version of the Ferrari, for example, has not yet been tested in the rain. And as luck would have it, the weather looks gloomy throughout the weekend in Montreal.
Rain or no rain, Charles Leclerc believes his team has what it takes to win the title on a circuit that bears the name of a team legend.
To achieve this, the runner wants to “turn the page” on his exhilarating triumph in Monaco two weeks ago.
“My head is only here,” he assured. My approach does not change. I will do everything within my control to achieve the best possible result. »
Things have, so far this season, gone pretty well for him in that department. And even if he refuses the label of favorite that his opponents want to put on him, it will be impossible for him, at least for a few more hours, to completely get rid of it.