Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz believe their dominant 1-2 finish at the US Grand Prix signals the Italian outfit’s firm entry into the battle for Formula 1’s 2024 Constructors' Championship.
After the Scuderia's impressive sweep at The Circuit of the Americas, Ferrari is now just 48 points behind McLaren, the current leader and just 8 points behind reigning world champions Red Bull.
Leclerc capitalized on the battle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris who launched their race from the front row but who both ran wide on the exit of Turn 1 at the start, opening the door for the Ferrari charger to take command of proceedings and never look back.
Meanwhile Sainz gained the upper hand over Norris to slot into third, eventually moving up to second after the mid-race round of pit stop rotations.
Both drivers brilliantly showcased Ferrari’s renewed strength and pace in the race – a stark improvement from previous struggles.
Reflecting on the team’s progress and their target for the constructors' title, Leclerc shared his optimism on the near-term future.
"It hasn't been an easy weekend until now, I struggled a little bit with the feeling in the car, but I had the confidence that in race the feeling was better, and it was the case," explained the Monegasque.
"We thought that the others would improve a lot more, but we still had the upper hand. I'm really happy with today's 1-2 - we couldn't have dreamed of better.
"It was a pretty good Turn 1, that's exactly what I wanted to do, we had a really good launch. In the second stint, it was all about managing behind, but we did a great job, the pace of the car was really good and that's mostly thanks to the engineers.”
Indeed, Leclerc was quick to praise the Scuderia’s tireless crews for improving the team’s SF-24 while highlighting their execution on race weekends.
"They have been working like crazy over the last few months to bring the upgrades that we had in Singapore and the last few races, and it seems to be paying off,” he added.
"The whole team is working super well, the pitstops were really good, everything worked out well so I'm really happy. Now we are still targeting the title. It's a long way to go but a good start to this triple-header."
Sainz echoed Leclerc’s sentiments, explaining that Ferrari’s ability to manage tyre degradation effectively has made the SF-24 a potent car in races where longevity is crucial.
While the Spaniard found himself held up behind Verstappen and Norris early on, he executed a clever strategy to undercut the Red Bull driver during pit stops, securing second place.
"It's a result that puts us where we want to [be] in the fight for the constructors' now, so extremely happy for everyone in Ferrari right now," commented the future Williams driver.
"At the same time, I knew a lot of the race was going to be decided at the start. I knew Lando and Max were going to go hard in T1 and unfortunately, I got the worst of it and didn't get that lead.”
He also noted how much more enjoyable racing has become in 2024 with a car that allows them to push and overtake, a sharp contrast from the struggles of last year.
"[Tyre management is] definitely the strength of the car this year, how long we can go on stints and how little deg we have,” Sainz added. “It's something I enjoy and something that has made me enjoy racing a lot more than last year.
"We spent all of the races defending and losing places; this year it seems like we can go in attack mode and just push and overtake, and it's fun. I hope it stays like this."
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