Charles Leclerc has not given up on fighting for this year’s drivers Championship. Although he recognises that his chances are slim, Leclerc believes Ferrari can take big strides if they optimise their weekends. With five races and two sprints left in 2024, there will certainly be opportunities.
Ferrari catapult themselves back into Championship contention
After Leclerc’s win at the Italian GP, LWOS published an article analysing Ferrari’s Monza success. The SF-24’s upgrades were dissected, and their potential to revolutionise the Scuderia’s season was emphasised.
Two months later, the SF-24 has cemented itself as a title contender. After reasonable performances at two unorthodox tracks (Singapore and Baku) Ferrari were comfortably fastest at COTA, the first traditional circuit since Monza.
The improvements brought to Italy were designed to increase downforce and eliminate the instability that emerged mid-season. Both these objectives were achieved, with Ferrari showing strong pace throughout the circuit.
Ferrari’s strengths from earlier in the season (stability under breaking, medium-speed cornering) returned. At the same time, their main weaknesses became far less impactful.
Charles Leclerc will not give up on the title
There is currently a 79-point gap between Leclerc and Verstappen. This is a significant margin, though certainly not an impossible one to overturn.
For the Monegasque to catch the Dutchman, a combination of perfect race execution and – inevitably – a bit of luck are necessary.
Despite this, the 27-year-old is not shying away from the challenge:
“I mean, never say never,” he said post-race in the Americas.
“Even if we do everything perfect, I feel like it will require a little bit of luck inside that to try and get that title.
“And we cannot really rely on luck. So the Drivers’ [title] seems to be quite unlikely.
“But again, I’ll believe in it until it’s mathematically impossible.
In retrospect, Ferrari can pinpoint several races were points slipped through their fingers this season.
Putting aside their mid-season development slump, DNFs in Canada, Austria and Silverstone have cost Leclerc vital points.
Without these incidents, fighting for the drivers’ title would be far more attainable. In any case, the standings will not change Ferrari’s approach for the upcoming races.
They are firmly in contention for the teams’ Championship, and will work to further optimise their package – in a bid to maximise their chances of clinching the title in Abu Dhabi.
