Ferrari boss reveals Lewis Hamilton F1…key US Grand Prix…read more
Ferrari is preparing to shift its focus entirely towards developing Lewis Hamilton’s first Formula 1 car with the team following the upcoming United States Grand Prix. The team plans to bring one last upgrade to their cars for the race in Austin, Texas, after which they will stop updating their 2024 challenger and turn their attention to next season’s car.
Despite Ferrari still being in the race for the constructors’ championship, sitting third and 75 points behind the current leaders McLaren, they’ve decided to prioritize development for 2025. McLaren has established themselves as favorites for their first team title since 1998, but Ferrari’s leadership believes focusing on next year’s car, which will be driven by Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, is the best path forward.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur confirmed this strategy following the Singapore Grand Prix. He explained that while the team is bringing a final update to the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) race in Austin, it will mark the end of their development for the current season. “We all know that we already started the development of the next car, and we try to do our best to have small upgrades at the next race,” Vasseur said. He also noted that this strategy is likely to be common among other teams as well. “Now it’s so tight overall in the last four or five, six races, if you have a look on the grid, it may get tight, and every single bit can make a difference.”
Ferrari is not alone in banking on these final upgrades to boost their championship campaign. Red Bull Racing, another top competitor, has struggled since the summer break, and their team advisor, Helmut Marko, has expressed hope that their last major updates of the season will make a significant difference. However, not everyone is convinced that Red Bull’s upgrades will be enough to catch McLaren, which has been the dominant force.
Former F1 driver and analyst Christijan Albers is skeptical of Red Bull’s chances to make a substantial comeback. He expressed doubt that the team could develop an upgrade capable of cutting significant time from their lap performance. “Just bring an upgrade to gain a second in the long runs, or even half a second? You just notice that McLaren has it all together,” Albers stated. He pointed out that Red Bull has faced challenges with limited wind tunnel time and budget restrictions due to incidents involving Sergio Perez, which have further hampered their ability to improve.
Nevertheless, Albers did acknowledge that Red Bull could become more competitive again, particularly on tracks with medium to fast corners, where their car tends to excel. He noted that while Red Bull may not outperform McLaren in terms of upgrades, they could close the gap based on the characteristics of certain circuits.
As the championship battle heats up, teams like Ferrari and Red Bull are relying on their final developments of the season to try and challenge McLaren’s dominance. However, with teams like Ferrari already looking ahead to 2025 and placing their hopes on new cars for Hamilton and Leclerc, the current season’s outcome may already be decided.
