There has been a sudden momentum shift as Ferrari have massively closed down the gap to Mercedes recently. As things stand in the Constructors’ Championship, the Silver Arrows lead the Prancing Horse by just four points. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur too has noticed this momentum shift and is optimistic going into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Ahead of the race at the Yas Marina Circuit, the Frenchman told autosport.com, “We were able to perform in Monza, in Singapore, in Mexico, during this weekend on different tracks with different weather conditions, different compounds, and we can be more than motivated before Abu Dhabi. The momentum is for us, and let’s see what happens“.
The 55-year-old defended his point by explaining how just a few races ago, Ferrari was about 60 points behind Mercedes. Since they are only four points behind now, Vasseur believes that they are “on a good path“. Finishing P2 in the Constructors’ Championship is a priority for both teams as that is what will decide who earns the higher prize money.
Can Ferrari snatch P2 from Mercedes in Abu Dhabi?
Ferrari and Mercedes have had a contrasting few weekends recently, as while the results of the former are improving, those of the latter are worsening. Even though Ferrari did struggle massively at the start of the 2023 season, their upgrades seemed to have worked handsomely for them.
However, when it comes to Mercedes, they have been highly inconsistent. There have been weekends when the W14 has been strong, but then there have also been instances when they have massively struggled. Another massive boost that Ferrari got from their weekend in Las Vegas was that they had the fastest car.
Although Max Verstappen beat Charles Leclerc in the race, misfortune for the Monegasque played a huge part considering the timing of the safety car. That’s not it as the Italian outfit is also the only team to beat the utterly dominant Red Bull this season.
Since Mercedes have failed to win a race this season, they are massively on the back foot when it comes to contending for the title even in the 2024 campaign. However, the Silver Arrows do seem confident that they have been moving in the right direction with the 2024 car after they abandoned their zero-side pod concept this season.
