Charles Leclerc and Ferrari had a magical 2024 US GP. Starting fourth on the grid, Leclerc capitalized on the battle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris at Turn 1. He seized the opening, pushing through and dominating the 56-lap race in Austin to take victory.
The USA GP marked Ferrari’s fourth victory of the season where Leclerc and Carlos Sainz achieved a long-awaited 1-2 finish. Ferrari hadn’t done this in the US for 18 years, since Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa in 2006. After Charles Leclerc celebrated his third Grand Prix win of the season, there were questions about Ferrari’s ability to compete for the title as they remain 48 points behind leader McLaren.
Team principal Fred Vasseur emphasized the importance of staying calm and focused as the season progresses. The title? We have to stay calm, there are still 5 races to go.
It’s true that there are a lot of points up for grabs from now until the end, so we can get other important results. Fred Vasseur told Sky Sports ItaliaWith two sprints and five races left in the season, they have plenty of opportunities to score points and stay in the title hunt. Vasseur emphasized that the team’s focus remains on the upcoming second race in Mexico during the tripleheader.
Considering that there are the Sprints, there are about 200 points up for grabs, maybe even more. This means that everything is possible, but it’s important to focus on the next race. Fred Vasseur statedCOTA was the first normal track since Spa and Zandvoort, following a series of street circuits.
This traditional circuit allowed Ferrari to assess how well their upgrades have worked since the Italian GP, in contrast to the street courses in Azerbaijan and Singapore. Fred Vasseur claims the whole weekend went well for Maranello at the US GPThe COTA allows for good overtaking opportunities, especially for drivers with fast cars. The track features a mix of long straights and technical corners.
Notably, the long back straight leading into Turn 12 provides excellent chances for overtaking. Fred Vasseur (via IMAGO)Fred Vasseur admitted that the whole weekend was positive for the team, especially for Carlos Sainz as he secured P2 for the first time in 2024. Sainz last stood on the podium during the early races of the season, when he won the Australian GP and finished P3 in Bahrain and Japan.
The whole weekend went well. We suffered more in qualifying because we had made a certain choice of set-up. But we also knew that in Austin you can overtake.
Fred Vasseur explainedRELATEDLando Norris stands firm on being right over not giving back position to Max Verstappen at US GPWith just 5 races left to end the season, Charles Leclerc is determined to stay in the fight for his first world championship. His win at the US GP has sparked hope for him as a possible title contender against Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.