F1 News: Ferrari May Not Carry Forward Australian GP Advantage To Beat Red Bull In Japan

Saajan Jogia | Apr 5, 2024

Oct 23, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz (55) of Team Spain exits his / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Two weeks ago, Ferrari celebrated a 1-2 victory at the Australian Grand Prix, with Carlos Sainz clinching the win, marking their first triumph of the season. However, in the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix this weekend, Red Bull's RB20 may hold a significant advantage over Ferrari's SF-24.

Key Takeaways:

• Ferrari claimed victory at the Australian Grand Prix with a 1-2 finish, marking their first win of the 2024 season.
• Red Bull's RB20 has shown strong performance in previous races, potentially giving them an advantage at the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka.
• Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur remains optimistic, despite acknowledging the challenge of competing with Red Bull at Suzuka, fueled by the motivation from their recent victory in Australia.

Ferrari's 2024 title contender has had a great start to the season with visible performance improvements. However, considering the nature of Suzuka, Red Bull, who secured a 1-2 finish in the first two Grands Prix of the season, could prove to be victorious once again.

Nov 17, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles LeClerc of Monaco (16) / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Although Ferrari expects an improved performance in Japan compared to last year, Leclerc clarified that the SF-24 excels on circuits where front graining is significant, unlike Suzuka, where overall tire degradation is more apparent. He said:

"For now with what we know I would expect Red Bull to still have the upper hand this weekend, especially coming to race day.

"We have a particular strength at tracks where front graining is a thing.

"In Australia it was the case two weeks ago, and there we were very strong coming to race day. This weekend it's less a case of front graining, but more overall degradation. So Red Bull will get back to where they were before that.

"However, it's a very important part of the season, where we need to maximise all the points that we can, which we have done. Because if we look at the first three races, I don't think that being only four points behind Red Bull represents our true performance.

"Yes, we are closer than what we were in the past. But we've done a particularly good job at maximising what we have at the moment.

"And until the upgrades, which I hope will put us in a better position to fight them regularly on the Sunday, we need to bring as many points home as possible. And that's why I think our start of the season is positive for that."

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur acknowledges the challenge of competing with Red Bull this weekend but draws optimism from the motivation gained from their victory in Australia. He added:

"It will be difficult, but it's open, and it's a good motivation the fact that we won last week.

"It's also the push for everybody in the team, for Carlos because it's a very good start to the season, for Charles because he wants to come back.

"For everybody it's a good prize at the beginning, and we are going in the right direction, and I hope that we perform in Japan this weekend."

Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz signs a hat for F1 fan Robin Cieply from Canada ahead of the / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman /

Sainz acknowledges that an upcoming upgrade planned for later in the season could help Ferrari conquer those few tenths of a second needed to challenge Red Bull on circuits such as Suzuka. He said:

"It's true to say that in Australia, we looked very strong.

"But normally in these cases, you just need to get the average of the first three races.

"And the average is we're still a couple of tenths off the Red Bull and we need probably an upgrade, especially in tracks like Suzuka, to fight them.

"The job that the team has done this year is extremely good, because the car is a very good step forward. It's just we need more of the same, if we want to go for the wins in tracks like maybe Japan.

"There is no big upgrade coming here. We have a very small thing in the car at the rear. But it will come later in the season. And I hope that is another good step in the same direction."