A majestic performance from start to finish would be a good way to sum up Scuderia Ferrari HP’s United States Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc took command of the race from the start and controlled it to the end, while Carlos Sainz did not have too much of a struggle to move up to second place, running an aggressive strategy, combined with the SF-24s excellent tyre management properties. An impeccable job from the drivers, mechanics, engineers and strategists and the team back in Maranello delivered the Scuderia’s 87th one-two finish, the second this season after Australia and the third with this driver pairing. Between today’s race and the Sprint, the team picked up 55 points, a record for the team. It means that Scuderia Ferrari HP is still in with a chance of fighting for the Constructors’ title, currently 54 points behind McLaren and only 8 behind Red Bull. It is Ferrari’s 247th Formula 1 win, Leclerc’s eighth, which keeps him third in the Drivers’ standings, with Carlos still fifth after securing his sixth podium finish of the season.
The race. The result of qualifying meant the team was reasonably optimistic and fully focussed as it studied all the data during last night’s briefing, which included paying particular attention to the starts from previous years’ races and that delivered the perfect result. At the start, Charles gambled on Lando Norris and Max Verstappen tripping over one another, going wide at turn 1 and he made the most of it to grab the lead. Carlos, from the outside of the track in third place, tried to do the same but was stuck behind two cars and had to tuck in behind Verstappen in third place. In free air, Leclerc was quickly able to build up enough of a lead to be able to control the race. The crew on the pit wall had the good sense to change Sainz’s strategy when it was clear he could not pass Verstappen on track. The Spaniard came in on lap 21, coming out ahead of Sergio Perez with a clear track ahead of him which meant he could push harder than anyone on the Hard tyre, thanks to his management skills and the fact the car is kind on tyres. This resulted in the perfect undercut on the reigning champion. Charles pitted for the Hards on lap 26, rejoining third, before passing Oscar Piastri for second and retaking the lead when Norris pitted. By lap 31, it was the perfect scenario with Charles and Carlos heading the field, with no more changes, to secure Scuderia Ferrari HP’s first one-two finish in the United States since 2006, when Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa did it at Indianapolis.
On to Mexico City. The team was keen to race in Austin to see how the updates introduced as from Monza would work on a really demanding track and the results were positive, thanks to the hard work from all the team at the track and back in Maranello. Now it’s a case of tackling the rest of the season race by race, staying focussed and maximising the potential of the package, starting with the Mexico City Grand Prix next weekend, at a height above sea level of 2000 metres. That race will be the only item on the agenda as from tomorrow, but tonight it’s time to party in Austin.
Charles Leclerc #16
It feels good to bring home a victory at the start of this triple header. The whole team did an amazing job to make this happen and a 1-2 brings us a good amount of points in the fight for the Constructors’ title. It’s an optimistic target, but we will never stop dreaming until it is done.
I had a good start, leveraging the fact that Max (Verstappen) pushed hard into turn 1, and Lando (Norris) defended from him. I lined up my exit and overtook both of them. After that, I knew it would be a matter of taking good care of my tyres and just bringing it home.
Our pace was really strong from the first lap onwards and I felt that I could pull away from Max quite comfortably. We’ve made a really good step in terms of our race trim, and hopefully, we will keep it up in the next few races. We will do everything to maximise our results and at the end of the year, we will do the maths and see where we stand.
Carlos Sainz #55
For the team this was basically the perfect weekend, so mega congrats to everyone both here and at home. My race was compromised at the start as I got blocked by Lando (Norris) and Max (Verstappen) fighting in front of me, which meant I did the first stint in Max’s dirty air. We had an issue and for some laps I was concerned but we managed to address it and used our pace to undercut Max and finish in P2.
It’s great to be able to go on the attack with this car and we want to fight until the last race for the Constructors’ Championship. We have to continue working like this for the remaining races, starting in Mexico City next week.
Fred Vasseur Team Principal Scuderia Ferrari HP
It was the perfect Sunday. We have done a very good job this weekend, scoring a lot of points but we have to stay focussed and not think we are champions just because of today’s result. Our pace was always under control as was the strategy with both drivers and when you have the slight advantage we had today, it is much easier to do a good job. The car has improved a lot in terms of its driveability compared to where we were a few races ago and that has contributed to the result.
Charles had a perfect start and managed the tyres well, while with Carlos we had to pit him earlier than planned in order to undercut Max (Verstappen). Once he was in free air he was able to set his pace and he was able to secure second place.
Next week in Mexico will be a completely different story with the altitude making it a one-off race, adding to the challenge, where you have to focus a lot on cooling. Just because you are quick in Austin, it doesn’t mean you will be quick in Mexico. This one-two is great motivation for next week. As for the championship, we are taking it one race at a time, but there are still plenty of points available, including those from the Sprints so everything is still possible. Now we are completely focussed on Mexico where we hope to continue this positive trend.