Ferrari came into the United States GP with hopes of trying to capitalize on errors made by Red Bull or McLaren, but little did the team know that it would end up securing a 1-2 finish, thanks to masterful drives from Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
But what made Ferrari — who came to Austin — with zero upgrades, the fastest on the track, whereas Red Bull and McLaren fell short despite coming prepared? The answer lies in the buildup to the race, as Ferrari had been preparing for this huge jump in performance for a long time.
WHAT A DRIVE BY OUR BOYS!!! 1-2 FINISH AT COTA #USGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/6W4NUsOsK6
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) October 20, 2024
In Singapore, the Scuderia showed major signs of weakness, and Team Principal Fred Vasseur had called for changes ahead of the US GP. However, they did not happen and instead, Ferrari decided to test this race out to see if they were on the right track with the upgrades introduced beforehand.
“The work carried out at the factory prior to the event takes on greater importance, with only one hour of free practice before immediately going into the competitive part of the event,” Vasseur said as per The Race.
The Maranello-based outfit had anticipated they would be fast going into the weekend, largely due to the significant upgrades introduced earlier in the season, such as the floor upgrade in Monza. Since then, the team’s performance has been on an upward trajectory, with both Ferrari cars always being close to the top.
Ferrari’s US GP dominance
Leclerc won the US GP ahead of Sainz, marking Ferrari’s first 1-2 in the US since 2006. While this put the Italian team in contention for the Constructors’ Championship this year with five Grand Prix weekends remaining, it also sent a statement out to the rest of the grid that they could be the ones to watch out for next season.
The first Ferrari 1-2 in the US since 2006
2024: Charles Leclerc & Carlos Sainz
2006: Michael Schumacher & Felipe Massa#USGP pic.twitter.com/gcxkDBfPCh— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) October 20, 2024
Earlier this year, Ferrari announced that their 2025 challenger wouldn’t differ much from the SF24, and considering its speed in Austin, that’s promising.
Moreover, the floor upgrade Vasseur mentioned is set to be introduced at one of the remaining races this season. Ferrari will be hoping it provides an extra edge in their battle for their first Constructors’ title since 2008.
