F1 News: Ferrari Drivers Set Sights On First Constructors' Championship Win Since 2008

Saajan Jogia | Oct 31, 2024

Oct 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA ; Charles Leclerc of Ferrari at the top of turn 1 of the Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-Imagn Images / Erich Schlegel-Imagn Images

Carlos Sainz shared that he and teammate Charles Leclerc are motivating each other to secure Ferrari's first Constructors' Championship since 2008, with the team making significant strides toward this goal in recent races.

Ferrari surged past Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship following another strong finish in Mexico, with Sainz taking the victory and Charles Leclerc claiming third place. While Red Bull’s recent performance dip opened the door for McLaren and Ferrari to close in, Ferrari's own post-summer pace has been increasingly promising, giving both drivers renewed confidence to aim for the title.

An added advantage for Ferrari is the strong rapport between its drivers and their closely matched performance, allowing them to work in unison as a team. This stands in contrast to Red Bull, where the wide performance gap between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez presents a challenge to cohesive teamwork.

The Maranello outfit won three of the last five Grands Prix, with Sainz hinting that it won't be long before Ferrari overtakes McLaren in the last four races of the 2024 season, especially when it trails McLaren by a mere 29 points. Speaking to the media, he said:

“I think we both believe it is possible and we are actually talking about it more and more often now.

“We pump each other up a bit, knowing that there's a chance and we are like, ‘yeah, come on’.

“We have a good relationship and I think we both know there is a chance and we both know we are in a good moment in our driving, the way we're driving.”

The Spaniard also highlighted that delivering consistent performance will be crucial for him and Leclerc to help Ferrari secure the Constructors' Championship. As a result, the pair will continue to motivate each other to end the season on a high note. He added:

“One of the keys is going to be consistency and having the two drivers always up there.

“This weekend, we did a really good job on that on a tricky track where you could see Q1 and Q2 was a bit of chaos and anything could go right or wrong. 

“So we just need to keep ourselves in that fight. And as Charles said, don't get obsessed with it because it's not like it depends only on us. 

“We also, given how fast McLaren is, depend a bit on them. But we're going to keep doing the best we can and keep pumping each other up to win it.”