©Ferrari
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has singled out missed opportunities rather than outright pace as the primary factor behind the Scuderia's narrow defeat to McLaren in the 2024 Formula 1 Constructors' Championship.
Despite a double-podium finish in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari finished just 14 points shy of McLaren in the standings.
While the Italian outfit showed marked improvement from 2023 – scoring four more victories, 13 additional podiums, and 246 extra points – Vasseur couldn’t help but dwell on the slim margin that separated his team from a potential world title.
“A good one (season), but not enough,” commented Vasseur after last Sunday’s season finale in Abu Dhabi.
“I think that if you compare with one year ago, it’s a huge step forward – pit stops, strategy, reliability… we improved everywhere, even in terms of pure performance,”
“It’s true that at the end, 14 points are missing, and I think if you are 80 or 100 points behind, you don’t feel the frustration.
“Tonight, I had tons of races in my mind where we lost 14 points this season, but it is like it is. McLaren also had some issues, and we have to do a better job next year, but I’m also quite proud of the step that we did.”
Ferrari started the season as Red Bull’s closest challenger, but an upgrade package introduced in Spain proved problematic, causing significant bouncing issues that hindered the car’s performance.
This set off a mid-season slump, during which Ferrari struggled to extract consistent results.
“I don’t want to do the list, but Canada we came back,” Vasseur recalled. “I think on paper, Canada was a good one for us, and we came back from Canada with a double zero—that was a bit harsh.
“Then we had three or four races in a row with the upgrade when we struggled a little bit. This period I think we lost something like 80 or 90 points on McLaren.”
Ferrari’s relatively poor results during the summer break, particularly at events like Austria and Silverstone, compounded their woes. But even outside this period, other races stand out as missed opportunities.
“We had a tough weekend like Baku, even if we did a P2 with Charles [Leclerc], but I think we were in a position to do a much better job than only P2,” Vasseur added.
“Then Singapore was a tough one, with the two cars ninth and 10 in quali. I think we could expect much better, but this is true also for McLaren.”
On the back of an upgrade package introduced at Monza, Ferrari managed to claim three wins over the final nine races, and claw its way back into contention against McLaren.
Asked what gave him the most pride during the season, Vasseur highlighted the team’s ability to recover from adversity.
“When I jumped into the water in Monaco,” he quipped, before quickly pivoting to a more serious reflection. “No, no, more seriously I think it was the fact that we improved and that we were able to react in the tough moments.
“Because to have a good dynamic, positive dynamic, to do good results, it’s one thing. But to react when you are in the s**t like we were in Spain, Austria—it’s quite important for the future of the team.
“It’s on this kind of reaction that we are building up the future, the trust that we can have in each other, and I think it was the most important step of the season.”
Ferrari’s battle with McLaren ultimately came down to fine margins. While both teams delivered strong performances throughout the year, the Scuderia’s inconsistency during key moments made the difference.
“It’s always much better if you have two-tenths more in the pace,” Vasseur admitted. “But from track to track, I think at the end we had almost the same number of wins as McLaren—today they perhaps have one more.
“They were a bit more performant in quali, we were probably a bit more performant in the race, but it was really on the edge. I think it’s more on the circumstances than something else.”
With a faster car, a more cohesive approach, and lessons learned from a rollercoaster 2024, Ferrari fans can take solace in the team’s upward trajectory. However, for now, the bittersweet feeling of “what could have been” lingers in Maranello.
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