Red Bull has dominated the last two years in the constructors’ championship and it looked as if that was going to happen again at the beginning of this season. However, McLaren and Ferrari took the battle to Red Bull, with the papaya outfit at the top of the standings.
It was Ferrari, however, who dominated at the United States Grand Prix. The team from Maranello opted not to bring updates to their car in Austin, and the decision paid off to put them hot on the heels of their competitors.
How Ferrari’s approach of no upgrades was the right path in Austin
Ferrari was the only top team not to bring upgrades to the Circuit of the Americas. Their decision paid off as other teams struggled to fully understand the new parts of their cars. As the sprint weekend only has one practice session, it is difficult for teams to gauge set-ups and upgrades.
The Italian team’s call to bring a car they already fully understood and know is quick, won them the race as they could set up the car a lot easier. The opposite could be said of their rivals, especially Mercedes, whose drivers struggled with the balance of their cars.
🏆| Ferrari dominated at Austin, which means they sit just 8 points off Red Bull in the Constructors Championship!
Will Ferrari be the main contender to McLaren?#F1 #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/VsVzs5oNTy
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) October 22, 2024
The McLaren also seemed to struggle with the new parts. They made the car more sensitive to track temperature and tire conditions. This was shown during the sprint race where it seemed Lando Norris had grained his tyres more than the Ferrari’s.
The actual track must also be taken into account. The circuit had a brand-new surface and had a mixture of fast and slow corners, coupled with long straights. This meant having just one session gives teams a short time to adjust the car.
Can Ferrari continue their momentum in Mexico?
Ferrari came to Austin with a quick car following upgrades at Monza. However, the Italian team did think Monza, Baku, and Singapore would suit their car. So Austin was the big test. A test which they passed by dominating the race.
The problem they have is yes, they have a quick car, but their rivals will have a full weekend in Mexico to analyze the upgrades properly. They will have three practice sessions to find the tweaks needed to make the updates work. If they can get on top of them, then Mexico could be anyone’s game.
Charles Leclerc sets his sights on delivering Ferrari’s first constructors’ title since 2008 after 1-2 in Austin 🏆#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/0WeW59mFJf
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 21, 2024
McLaren also came into the US GP thinking the track wouldn’t suit their car, but Mexico could be better suited, as the track has more high and medium-speed corners. The Ferrari does suit slower-speed corners, so could this play a part next weekend? The constructors’ championship battle is on.
