Ferrari had an outstanding race weekend in Melbourne as Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc registered an emphatic 1-2 for the team. Although they claimed an unlikely win at the Australian GP, coming into Japan, they do have a competitive package to challenge Red Bull. However, according to Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur, the package “needs to be perfect” if they wish to produce another strong performance in Suzuka. As quoted by FormulaPassion, the Frenchman said,
“We are going to Japan on the wave of enthusiasm for the double achieved in Australia. The unique sensations linked to the victory push us to work even harder to try to savor them again as soon as possible. We believe we have a competitive package but we also know that to be able to beat our rivals we need to be perfect”.
It’s been a fun month ❤️
We’ll keep on attacking in April pic.twitter.com/sxcu7FV1Yy
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) March 31, 2024
Although Ferrari can take immense inspiration from their brilliant performance in Melbourne, they will face an entirely difference challenge at Suzuka, as explained by Vasseur himself. “The Suzuka track is a particularly challenging test bed for the cars as well as the drivers, who in fact love it,” explained Vasseur.
Formula 1 arrives in Japan much earlier than previous seasons. Therefore, the weather is going to play a huge role during the race weekend. Because the Japanese GP is expected to produce multiple challenges for the teams, it will allow them to have a good assessment of their cars and the improvements they have made so far.
Suzuka International Racing Course is traditionally a circuit that’s very hard on tires, and hence, the Japanese GP would be a litmus test for the Italian outfit to check their tire degradation, an area which had been their Achilles heel last season. All in all, the Maranello-based team needs to be at their absolute best if they want to get the better of Red Bull at Suzuka.
How is Ferrari coping against Red Bull?
Ferrari seemed to have closed down the gap massively to Red Bull this season when compared to last year. The Maranello-based team has already scored 93 points and are just four short of defending champions Red Bull after the first three races of the 2024 season.
Furthermore, Ferrari’s SF-24 is statistically a better car compared to its predecessor. Reports have shown that the Scarlet Ferraris have improved in race pace, have better straight-line speed, and also lesser tire degradation.
From the Esses to 130R and everything in between, we can’t wait to get back to the iconic Suzuka Circuit #JapaneseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/upDXfsi5xH
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) April 2, 2024
Besides Ferrari, McLaren are also a contender to fight for podiums after their strong performance in Melbourne. Lando Norris finished third in the race, while Oscar Piastri finished fourth.
As a result of their fantastic result, McLaren have now moved up to third in the Constructors’ Championship with 55 points, ahead of both Mercedes and Aston Martin. Meanwhile, when it comes to Red Bull, they will hope to produce a stronger performance in Japan after their struggles in Melbourne.
