Ferrari has revealed the “small upgrades” the team bids to introduce in Austin will bring an end to development this term as attention moves to its 2025 Formula 1 car.
The Maranello-based squad has headed into the autumn break still with an outside chance in the Constructors’ Championship as it resides 75 points behind McLaren.
Unlike the summer shutdown, the teams will be permitted to continue working at their respective factories to develop their cars once the season resumes next month.
Ferrari will utilise the second in-season break to work on delivering more new components to a 2024 car that has produced three race victories to date this campaign.
However, with 2025 on the horizon, Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur has divulged that its SF-24 will remain unchanged from the United States Grand Prix until Abu Dhabi.
“We all know that we already started the development of next year’s car,” Vasseur told media including Motorsport Week.
“We try to do our best to have small upgrades on the next one.
“I think it will be probably the last one for everybody; that it will be true for us, but it will be true for the other teams.”
But while Ferrari’s upgrades will be minor on this occasion, Vasseur has stressed that the compactness of the grid ensures that small changes could be instrumental.
“Now it’s so tight… overall the last four or five, six races, if you have a look on the grid, it may get tight and every single bit can make a difference,” he added.
Vasseur pleased with Ferrari’s response in Singapore
Ferrari’s championship aspirations encountered a considerable blow in Singapore last weekend as a disastrous qualifying session spoiled the team’s win prospects.
Carlos Sainz crashed as he was building up towards his opening attempt in Q3, while Charles Leclerc rued issues with tyre temperature resigning him to ninth place.
READ MORE: Charles Leclerc: Ferrari ‘paid the price’ for Singapore F1 qualifying setback
Vasseur, though, derived encouragement from how Ferrari responded to that setback to maximise its chances in the race with Leclerc taking fifth and Sainz seventh.
“The result of the weekend is not the one expected,” the Frenchman conceded. “But the result of the Sunday is a good one. It’s a good race.
“We had a strong pace, a good start for Charles.
“Carlos was a little bit on the dirty side and a bit blocked, but then a good strategy, a good pitstop with tyre management in the line of the last couple of events.
“I think we can be pleased with this now. We have a couple of weeks to prepare the last six and to be ready for Austin.”
