Ferrari looked to have momentum on McLaren in the battle for the constructors crown. Coming into the Las Vegas weekend, Ferrari thought they had the best race car and would close substantially to their papaya rivals. However, this was not the case.
Mercedes stole the show with a one-two finish, as their car worked better in the cooler conditions. Ferrari gained on McLaren but not as much as they thought they would. However, it wasn’t just the car which was the issue. Through drivers at loggerheads and poor strategy calls, this was a weekend to forget for the Scuderia.
Ferrari drivers trip over each other in Vegas
The Ferrari drivers started the race well. Charles Leclerc was in second and pressuring George Russell, while Carlos Sainz was in third. However, as the race unfolded, the pair would anger each other. As the second round of stops approached, Sainz was asked to let Leclerc through, who was under pressure from Lewis Hamilton.
The Spaniard agreed and let the Monogasque through. However, following the stops, when Leclerc was coming out of the pits, Sainz was told not to pressure Leclerc and let him stay ahead. Sainz didn’t comply with the team order which angered Leclerc, leading him to complain over the radio, telling the team to speak to Sainz “in Spanish.”
Charles lets out his frustrations on the cooldown lap 📻 pic.twitter.com/hKhGWxUvPA
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 24, 2024
In the post-race radio message, Leclerc continued: “Yeah, I did my job, but being nice f***s me over all the f*****g time, all the f*****g time. It’s not even being nice, it’s just being respectful. I know I need to shut up, but at one point it’s always the same, so…”
Post-race, Sainz responded by saying: “We have decided not to talk [about this] with the media, we will discuss with Charles what happened between us. But we don’t need to clarify, these are things between us. I never turn on the radio and I don’t talk to the media because it’s not a nice thing to do and it’s not necessary.”
There is clear friction between the two drivers. Carlos is leaving after the final two races and is driving for himself. The pair raced each other hard in Austin and Mexico too. If they continue to squabble, it can cost Ferrari a shot at the constructors title.
Ferrari makes wrong strategy calls
It wasn’t just the drivers costing Ferrari more points. The car wasn’t working as well as the Mercedes in the colder conditions. Looking after the tyres was key for the race so the team should have told Leclerc to cool his attack on Russell in the early stages. This led to Leclerc graining his tyres early on, costing him track position and time.
The second round of stops was a disaster for the Scuderia. Sainz kept asking to box for fresh rubber as the tyres were shot. Ferrari kept him out too long and when he was ready to box and he had crossed the pit line, he was told to stay out. This is because the team weren’t ready for him. This led to Sainz shouting down the radio “Wake up guys, come on.”
TEAM STANDINGS (with two rounds to go) 👀
The three-way title fight continues ⚔️#F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/mgB85olZde
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 24, 2024
All these mistakes proved costly as by the closing stages, Lewis Hamilton’s tyres had grained and he was losing time. If Ferrari had worked out the correct strategy and the drivers hadn’t tripped over each other, maybe second place was in reach and they could’ve eaten more into McLaren’s lead.
