The updates brought by the Brackley team underlined a huge progress compared to the Maranello team.
Ferrari and Mercedes started the 2024 season in different positions, both seemingly headed in very different directions. However, as the season has progressed, things haven’t been as one expected.
An unpromising start of the season for Mercedes
The start of the season for Mercedes has been quite disappointing. From the first races, the car showed various problems. Immediately the team demonstrated quite a confusing pace. The key to improvement was in the updates, understanding issues and trying to resolve them. It was immediately clear that the W15 was a fairly complex car to understand with several enigmatic problems.
A different start to the season for Ferrari
On one hand, we saw a rather disappointing Mercedes, on the other hand, we saw a more solid and promising Ferrari compared to last season. Last year, both drivers from the Maranello team found themselves having to battle with a rather disappointing car. Various issues included tyre management and cornering behaviour. At the beginning of the 2024 season, with the first races we saw a different Ferrari, more competitive and solid. A car that is more predictable in its behaviour and reactions to set-up changes. A breath of fresh air not only for the drivers but also for the entire team.
The first updates on the single-seater
When the new season starts, it’s important to think about bringing new updates as the season progresses to take the car to the next level. Trying to fix the set-ups, resolve problems, compare the data on the track and try to bring the single-seater to a higher level than at the beginning of the year is important. But as we all know the world of Formula One is a constant race against time. Everything is very predictable. And it doesn’t mean that updates are always positive. What we have seen in these latest races is confirmation of this.
Mercedes vs Ferrari
Charles Leclerc’s victory in Monaco surprised everyone. That victory reopened hope in the hearts of the fans but also in the team. A hope for being able to fight for the Drivers’ and Constructors’ championships. But what happened next was unexpected. The updates brought by Ferrari worked and data and drivers confirmed the results.
But what was a bit destabilizing was the step backwards taken by Ferrari in qualifying. It’s no longer a question of tyre management or temperatures. The problem is that there is no performance and with the updates, problems from two years ago have returned. That is the return of bouncing in high-speed corners.
In interviews, the pilots spoke of an increase in load but a limited setup. This will lead the Maranello technicians to have to review the mechanical part to avoid lifting the car. Comparing Austria 2023 and 2024, Ferrari lost the pole last year by 48 thousandths of a second while this year the gap was half a second on a short track.
Mercedes, on the other hand, have made decent strides with their updates. If before they were behind Ferrari and McLaren, now it is very close to Ferrari, and probably much more competitive. Both Mercedes drivers finished on the podium in the last races. This is great progress for Mercedes, and great for the Constructors’ championship points. In the race in Austria, with George Russell’s race win, Mercedes officially confirmed itself as the third force, overtaking Ferrari.
A season still open
As pointed out before, we are in the middle of a long season and nothing is decided yet. What is important now for Ferrari is to try to understand how to resolve the problems that led the car to take ten steps backwards. At this crucial moment of the season, it is important to bring updates that can resolve the problems that are making the season difficult.
For Mercedes, however, it will be important to try to maintain this pace and try to maximize it on the track. In anticipation of the Grand Prix at Silverstone, Ferrari could become the fourth force (unless there are improvements) while Mercedes could reconfirm itself as the third force. But the season is still open and there can still be many changes.
