Charles Leclerc crossed the line in 4th place at the Chinese GP, only four seconds behind Sergio Perez in the RB20. However, the deficit to Max Verstappen in P1 was over 20 seconds – even with a relatively late Safety Car. Leclerc showed quite strong tyre management in Shanghai, especially in his opening stint. However, the performance of the SF-24 was more limited than most people anticipated this weekend:
Heading into the fifth round of the season, there was optimism surrounding the Ferrari camp. The Italian outfit claimed a podium finish in Suzuka, establishing themselves as second-fastest a the Japanese circuit. This venue, on paper, is not well-suited to the 2024 Ferrari challenger. As a result, Ferrari was expected to give Red Bull something to think about this weekend.
After all, the Shanghai International Circuit consists of a better combination of corner speeds. In theory, the Ferrari should have been closer to Red Bull at a circuit less dominated by high-speed corners. However, the Ferrari’s failure to put temperature into its tyres in qualifying was not its only issue.
LECLERC SURPRISED BY FERRARI STRUGGLES
The SF-24 was lacking in overall performance, even compared to McLaren – who downplayed their chances in the build-up to round five. Charles Leclerc discussed his race in Shanghai to Sky Sports:
“Honestly, the best result we could’ve got is this one. Because unfortunately, McLaren was ahead in terms of race pace today.
“With the mediums, we weren’t bad. With the hards… this was the pace. It’s incredible – we were half a second slower.
“The surprise was Lando, the McLarens. I believe Oscar had floor damage, otherwise it would’ve been difficult to finish P4. it’s a bad surprise.”
Of course, one disappointing race is no reason to ring the alarm at Ferrari. This is the first major hiccup – in terms of underperformance – suffered by the Italian outfit in 2024. However, it brings into question whether Red Bull is a realistic target before the team’s Imola upgrades.
Fred Vasseur and his team must understand the root of their issues this weekend. In theory, the upgrades scheduled to the SF-24 represent the team’s next big opportunity to close the gap to Red Bull.
