Ferrari has suggested that spurning “80 or 90 points” to McLaren with the team’s mid-season struggles cost it the Formula 1 title more than missing car pace in 2024.
The Italian marque outscored McLaren for the fifth time in six rounds at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but a double podium wasn’t enough to overhaul the 21-point deficit.
Nonetheless, Ferrari being involved in a championship showdown for the first time since 2012 was a positive step in the second term under Frederic Vasseur’s watch.
Vasseur had vowed that Ferrari must strive to maximise its points tally more in 2024, having rued squandered opportunities last season which denied it second place.
The Maranello-based squad registered four more victories, 13 more podiums and amassed 246 more points than the previous campaign, albeit with two more events.
However, Vasseur conceded that winding up 14 points short of bringing an end to Ferrari’s protracted title drought made the team’s tangible improvement bittersweet.
“A good one, but not enough,” he told media including Motorsport Week. “I think that if you compare with one year ago, it’s a huge step forward, everything is great.
“We did a good one in terms of pit stops strategy, [and] reliability; we improved everywhere, even in terms of pure performance.
“It’s true that at the end, 14 points are missing, and I think if you are 80 or 100 points behind you don’t feel the frustration.
“14 points that you have, or at least tonight, I had tons of races in my mind where we lost 14 points this season, but it is like it is.
“McLaren also had some issues, and we have to do a better job next year. But I’m also quite proud of the step that we did.”
Ferrari’s mid-season slump
Ferrari began the season as the closest contender to a dominant Red Bull, but an upgrade package in Spain caused accentuated bouncing which blunted its potential.
The Scuderia endured a challenging spell across the summer as it sought to unearth how it had taken the wrong turn in development that saw it drop behind its rivals.
“I don’t want to do the list, but Canada we came back,” he recalled.
“I think on the paper Canada was a good one for us, and we came back from Canada with a double zero, that was a bit harsh.
“Then we had three or four races in a row with the upgrade when we struggled a little bit.
“This period I think we lost something like 80 or 90 points on McLaren.”
Ferrari must ‘minimise losses’ again in 2025
However, Ferrari managed an impressive recovery as revisions in Monza and Singapore triggered a return to competitiveness which delivered three wins in nine races.
But despite the updated SF-24 hauling Ferrari back into title contention, Vasseur has acknowledged that there were still moments where the team gave up vital points.
“We had a tough weekend like Baku, even if we did a P2 with Charles [Leclerc], but I think we were in a position to do a much better job than only P2,” he added.
“Then Singapore was a tough one, with the two cars ninth and 10 in quali. I think we could expect much better, but this is true also for McLaren.
“If you have a look at McLaren, if you go through the season, you can find tons of points. My job is also to try to minimise these losses.”
Ferrari response encourages Vasseur
Vasseur, though, derived encouragement from the manner in which Ferrari responded to the mid-season setback that threatened to derail the team’s entire campaign.
Asked what made him proudest this season, the Frenchman quipped: “When I jumped into the water in Monaco.
“No, no, more seriously I think it was the fact that we improved and that we were able to react in the tough moments.
“Because to have a good dynamic, positive dynamic, to do good results it’s one thing.
“But to react when you are in the s**t like we were in Spain, Austria it’s quite important for the future of the team.
“It’s on this kind of reaction that we are building up the future the trust that we can have each other and I think it was the most important step of the season.”
Ferrari pace not to blame for title loss
Vasseur admitted that a faster package would’ve bolstered Ferrari’s title bid, but he doesn’t subscribe to the idea that was the main reason behind its loss to McLaren.
“It’s always much better if you have two-tenths more in the pace,” he accepted.
“But from track to track, I think at the end we had almost the same number of wins as McLaren, today they perhaps have one more.
“They were a bit more performant in quali, we were probably a bit more performant in the race, but it was really on the edge.
“I think it’s more on the circumstances than something else.”
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