Marc Gene points out “Ferrari finished with best tires” at Jeddah circuit | 2024 F1 Saudi Arabian GP

On the final lap of the 2024 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari ignited, coloring the time charts in purple. The Monegasque driver finished the Jeddah race with a time of 1:31.632, achieved on used white tires that had covered approximately 40 laps. Granted, the fuel load was exceptionally low, yet his contender for that additional point was Lewis Hamilton, who had recently fitted new soft tires. It raises the question of where that time came from.

There’s no doubt that Charles Leclerc is a wizard at setting fast times, but doing so under these conditions was truly unexpected. Speaking in the press conference, the driver admitted to benefiting from Daniel Ricciardo’s DRS, but it is undeniable that the SF-24 car was also ready to withstand such a push shortly before the end of the race.

In the post-race segment on Sky Sport, Italian journalist Carlo Vanzini launched a provocation: could the Ferrari have untapped potential? “The fast lap at the end would be interesting to understand. It’s certainly a positive sign because it indicates a car that doesn’t consume tires, and the significant problem of 2023 seems to be resolved. But at this point, isn’t it possible that the pit wall is too concerned about wear and remains conservative, thus finishing the race with more tire than they thought?” asked the journalist.

“It’s worth adding that it was also a genuine fast lap,” Marc Genè continued. “To do his, Max had slowed down for two laps to recharge the battery and prepare the car, while Charles did it out of nowhere, with less energy. The gap is remarkable because it’s two tenths. This is a significant sign to understand the car: the Ferrari, for the first time in many years, finished the race with the best tires, not because it was conservative. In a race, you need to manage, and the engineers from Maranello had also chosen a lighter wing to preserve the tires. So, the drivers lost in speed but maintained the pace.” – the Ferrari brand ambassador concluded.