For Ferrari, second place within the Constructors’ Championship, confirmed over the 57 laps at Yas Marina, is a outcome with out regrets. The 33 factors scored by Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc within the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix exceeded even essentially the most optimistic pre-race forecasts, however in the end resulted in a last tally of +7 over McLaren, which proved sooner throughout the weekend as a complete.
The Scuderia endured two difficult days on Friday and Saturday, with technical setbacks and penalties relegating Leclerc to the final row of the beginning grid, a decidedly tough state of affairs for harboring practical championship hopes.
Within the race, nevertheless, the state of affairs modified drastically, significantly for Charles. An ideal begin, a dream first lap, and the misfortune that struck Oscar Piastri, who was hit by Verstappen on the first nook. At that time, some began doing calculations for the Constructors’ standings, aided by a relentless Leclerc, who continued to climb positions after crossing eighth on the finish of the primary lap.
Earlier than the beginning, Charles had even wager with Frederic Vasseur on the place he would maintain on the finish of the primary lap—a wager each misplaced, as neither predicted eighth place. As soon as the mud settled, the fact seen in qualifying and Friday’s lengthy runs reemerged: McLaren had a few tenths benefit per lap. This margin was maintained constantly by Norris, underlining that there was no contest for the race win or, consequently, the Constructors’ standings.
There may be nothing to remorse. Surprisingly, the one unhappy face on the finish of the race was not Carlos Sainz’s, even in his farewell race after 4 years in pink, however Charles Leclerc’s, confirming how a lot Charles believed in the opportunity of success. The much-discussed “two-against-one” state of affairs lastly materialized, however even towards Lando Norris alone, it turned clear there was nothing to be completed. The end result wouldn’t have modified even when Charles Leclerc had began alongside Carlos Sainz.
Ferrari’s pit wall tried to maintain Norris’s McLaren inside attain (“If you happen to keep shut, you by no means know what may occur, even a puncture or a mistake,” Vasseur defined) with out altering the strategic plans set earlier than the race. Carlos Sainz pitted sooner than Lando Norris, ending up two seconds behind the British driver after McLaren’s cease, however the hole noticed within the first stint on medium tires was confirmed with the hards.
Ferrari’s double podium is a decent achievement, however not sufficient for a world-class feat. The Scuderia completed the season 14 factors behind McLaren, demonstrating vital progress in comparison with the outcomes of 2023.
“We’ve improved in lots of areas,” Fred Vasseur confirmed after the race, “methods, pit stops, reliability, and pure efficiency. It’s true that we’re 14 factors brief; if it had been 80 or 100 factors, I’d really feel much less annoyed. Proper now, I can consider many races the place we left 14 factors on the desk, however ultimately, everybody had points throughout the season, so we’ll must do higher subsequent yr. On the similar time, I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made.”
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