Ferrari on the podium in Lusail and gains on McLaren: -21 | 2024 F1 Qatar Grand Prix review. Let's take a detailed look at how events unfolded for Ferrari in Qatar.

Ferrari must give its all in the 23rd race of the 2024 F1 season. There is no other way to keep the championship dream alive. A title bid that slipped away in May, as we will never tire of recalling, when the technical department led by Italian aerodynamicist and former Ferrari technical director Enrico Cardile introduced a misleading aerodynamic update. That floor upset Ferrari’s plans and made the two SF-24 cars difficult to handle.

Returning to the present, let’s take a detailed look at how events unfolded for the Maranello team at the 5.419-kilometre Lusail International Circuit: all cars are on the starting grid. The Ferrari drivers are about to get into their cars, and concentration is at its peak.

Before starting, here are the environmental conditions: air temperature at 19.4°C, track surface temperature at 23.6°C. Humidity is fairly high at 55%, with a 2.2 kilometers per hour wind blowing from the north. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc are finally in their cars after the mechanics completed the usual checks: power unit, transmission, braking system, and hybrid system. Ferrari race engineers Riccardo Adami and Bryan Bozzi provide the final briefings on pre-race operations. Minutes before the reconnaissance lap, the Ferrari drivers are informed about the tire choices of their direct competitors.

All drivers have chosen Pirelli yellow-banded tires, except for Nico Hülkenberg, who opted for the Hard compound to extend the first stint. The installation lap is very quick for everyone. Before repositioning on the grid, the usual four burnouts take place, using the RB position 1 mapping to heat the rear tire compounds with brake heat. At the start, Leclerc surprises Piastri and overtakes him, while Carlos Sainz holds his position. Within one lap, the first Safety Car is deployed following a collision between Esteban Ocon and Franco Colapinto.

Under double yellow flags, tire management becomes critical. Marshals work to clear the track while Ferrari drivers focus on maintaining the target tire temperature. The K1 overboost is activated and can be used until Turn 1 to attack or defend. The pack regroups at the end of lap 4 for the restart. Unfortunately, Piastri uses DRS to regain his position from Charles Leclerc. The two Ferraris are now fifth and sixth. They aim to keep pace with the leaders while managing their tires.

Significant tire saving is necessary, which doesn’t help race pace. As a result, the gap between the SF-24s and the lead group widens quickly. Charles Leclerc points out that this strategy of managing the compounds is causing them to lose time, but Bryan Bozzi insists on patience. Strategy discussions turn to Plan A after ten laps. The plan likely involves a one-stop strategy, switching to Hard tires. They inform Carlos Sainz that Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes is experiencing graining.

Carlos Sainz asks if the same issue is occurring on the McLarens. However, on-board footage of the MCL38s shows no signs of it. By lap 15, Ferrari’s pit wall gives the go-ahead to increase pace, gradually but without overdoing it. Observing the Ferraris’ handling, their lines are clean at this stage, though there is still a slight understeer. Shortly afterward, the drivers are asked for a tire phase update to assess compound conditions and refine the race tire strategy.

Charles Leclerc acknowledges the situation but speaks up on the radio, requesting a check on the tire pressures, which he feels are not optimal. The team runs a check and informs the Monegasque that everything is proceeding as planned. Additionally, it’s noted that some lifting is necessary at Turn 14, though the race pace at this stage is solid. In fact, part of the gap between the Ferraris and Piastri has been closed. It’s time to push hard in this stint to get as close as possible and potentially attempt an undercut on the McLaren driver.

However, the gap doesn’t decrease, as those ahead are also pushing hard. By lap 23, the situation remains unchanged. Essentially, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris are quicker in this first stint, while Russell and Piastri are matching Charles Leclerc’s pace. Carlos Sainz is slightly behind, losing ground to his teammate. George Russell pits on lap 24 to switch to Hard tires, a bit earlier than Ferrari’s estimates. Observing the dashboard of car #16 on lap 27, it’s noted that the left-side tires are at temperature, while the right-side tires are slightly cooler.

The reason is simple: the unique characteristics of the track layout. Interestingly, the Ferrari drivers receive different feedback about the Hard tires. On Carlos’s radio, the activation of the white-banded tires is described as normal and as expected. Bozzi, however, mentions difficulties, requiring more time for activation. This indicates the cars handle tire warm-up differently. On lap 30, George Russell finds himself stuck in traffic after his pit stop, while the two Ferraris follow the McLarens, trying to maintain a good pace.

The gap remains unchanged, while Carlos Sainz struggles more with tire management, particularly the front tires, which are gradually degrading. Sainz requests a pit stop as the front tires are shot and appears to be suffering a slow puncture. Indeed, the front tire fails, costing the Spaniard significant time. He manages to return to the pits to have his tires changed, but the timing couldn’t be worse: as he re-enters the pits, the Safety Car is deployed. Charles Leclerc takes advantage of this by pitting and saving time.

Since Piastri had pitted the lap before, Charles Leclerc emerges ahead of the Australian upon returning to the track. Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, is in eighth place, just behind Russell. Under double yellow flags, the cars are forced to pass through the pit lane to allow marshals to clear the track. The good news for Ferrari is that Charles has closed the 10-second gap he had accumulated during the first stint and is now behind the top two. On lap 40, the Safety Car leaves, and the drivers resume racing. This time, Charles Leclerc must avoid being caught by Oscar Piastri.

Charles Leclerc doesn’t get a strong restart and has to fight hard to keep Piastri behind him, but he manages to do so. It’s a tough battle to keep the car on track. Sainz gains a position and moves up to seventh place. Within a lap, the Safety Car is deployed again due to debris on the track. Activating the Hard tires proves to be a real challenge, with Leclerc describing it on the radio as a nightmare. The pit wall has no specific solutions, suggesting the usual mappings and zig-zag maneuvers for the front tires. On lap 43, the race resumes on cold tires, using the K1 mode until Turn 1.

Charles Leclerc attempts to slipstream Norris but finds no opportunity to overtake on the outside of Turn 1, as the Briton skillfully blocks all paths. Sainz also fails to gain any positions. The new threat is Oscar Piastri, glued to the rear of car #16, with 14 laps remaining. The Ferrari tires are below temperature, as seen on the dashboard. On lap 45, good news arrives: McLaren receives a 10-second penalty for not respecting a yellow flag.

Charles Leclerc, now in third, is virtually in second place. Norris is forced to pit and reenters in 15th place. Sainz, in sixth, tries to overtake Gasly without success. While it’s not a complete McLaren disaster, the penalty to Norris seems harsh, as other drivers also appeared to ignore the yellow flag. For Ferrari, it’s crucial to keep Piastri in third place, behind a Leclerc giving everything he’s got.

Carlos Sainz’s goal is to overtake Pierre Gasly at all costs and secure fifth place. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen is in a league of his own, pulling away from everyone. Charles Leclerc is pushing hard as Oscar Piastri stays within striking distance, just over a second behind. This is the situation with six laps to go. Unfortunately, Sainz isn’t driving well, appearing tense and making a mistake on the final corner, losing contact. The battle continues relentlessly.

There are moments of great tension on track. Carlos catches up to Gasly and attempts to overtake but is unsuccessful. The two race engineers provide maximum support to the Ferrari drivers. Riccardo Adami on the radio urges Carlos Sainz to keep pushing, as Ferrari need this result. The Spanish driver gives it his all but fails to pass the Alpine’s French driver, but is unfortunately unable to do so.

Considering the final positions, Ferrari gains 9 points on McLaren, reducing the gap to 21. Despite a weekend where Ferrari was weaker than McLaren, the outcome wasn’t too bad.

— see video above —