Charles Leclerc listed several key changes, both from a personal and team perspective that have led Ferrari toward a Formula 1 title challenge in 2024.
The Scuderia has been resurgent of late, winning back-to-back Grands Prix in Austin and Mexico City with Leclerc and Carlos Sainz respectively.
Ferrari’s latest result, a one-three in the Mexico GP, has elevated the Italian team to second in the Constructors’ standings, just 29 points behind leaders McLaren.
With four rounds left to play, Leclerc told select media including Motorsport Week on Thursday what has taken Ferrari to within a whisker of its first Constructors’ title in 16 years.
Leclerc began to say there are areas in which he’s been able to improve as a driver since joining Ferrari in 2019, explaining that “tyre management on my side was always a weakness back then and I think now it actually became one of my strengths.”
It’s hard to bet against Leclerc on that front, given the one-stop tyre management masterclass he displayed en route to victory at Monza this Summer.
Regarding Ferrari as a team, Leclerc said “small steps” have been taken year-on-year.
One of Ferrari’s biggest issues in recent years has been strategy dilemmas and the Scuderia has often been at the mercy of online memes as a result.
But in 2024, Leclerc believes Ferrari is “in a much better place.”
He puts that down to Strategy Director Ravin Jain, who with his team of engineers is “doing an exceptional job,” helping Ferrari make “a big step forward.”
Charles Leclerc credits Fred Vasseur with Ferrari title turnaround
The other big change that has occurred in recent times at Ferrari is the arrival of Fred Vasseur as Team Principal in 2023.
While last year was a struggle, 2024 has shown that after a full season in charge, Ferrari is reaping the benefits of Vasseur’s approach.
Leclerc lays a lot of credit at Vasseur’s door for Ferrari’s F1 title turnaround, especially how he can take emotion out of one of the most passionate teams in the sport.
“I think the really good thing about Ferrari is that there’s a lot of passion inside the team and that helps to push people even over the normal work hours just because they love so much their job and it means so much that they do more,” Leclerc explained.
“However, you can pay the price of that sometimes when you have a tough time because they are more affected emotionally by the team and that makes it difficult.
“However, Fred is a very emotionally flat person, at least professionally speaking and I think that’s exactly what’s needed in Ferrari for a boss with always a very clear vision and not being affected by the outside world’s perception and emotions.”
From tyre management to race strategy and Vasseur’s calming influence, Leclerc has labelled “the steps” Ferrari has taken “in the last five/six years.”
But with the Constructors’ title by no means a guarantee in 2024 and Leclerc only holding a slim hope in the Drivers’ Championship, the Monegasque driver said “there’s still a lot of room to improve in the next few years.
“But we have a clear vision of where we are now and where we want to go in terms of development.
“Then in terms of goals, it’s clear for everybody that we want to win both titles and hopefully we’ll start with one this year.”
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