After the previous race weekend in Miami, and much praise to Lando Norris on his first ever Grand Prix victory, we turn our eyes to our next race in Imola.
With headlines surrounding McLaren's Grand Prix win, let us not lose sight at what might be another blow to Red Bull's dominance and chance to run away with the 2024 F1 Championship.
McLaren have already displayed that their upgrade package was enough to challenge Max Verstappen and Red Bull, but now it's Ferrari's turn to put forth their highly anticipated installments for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Italy.
RELATED ARTICLE: F1: Oliver Bearman Expected to Land Formula 1 Seat in 2025 With Resurgent Team
Teams Have Caught Up to Red Bull
It's safe to say that other teams on the grid such as Ferrari and McLaren have caught up to the Austrian F1 Team. McLaren will only build upon their previous upgrades as now their other driver Oscar Piastri will be getting the full upgrade package that Lando Norris ran with in his Miami Grand Prix win.
Ferrari came out this year swinging with a revamped car design that seemed to have slain their demons from the year prior; tire degradation and predictability of the car. After a hot start from the Scuderia's Spanish driver Carlos Sainz, Ferrari's other star driver Charles Leclerc looks to have gotten himself back to form.
Leclerc had issues with determining his tire window in qualifying; something that he has made the norm of being his strength, now was an Achilles heal to his race weekends. Through this issue, he and Ferrari were still able to maximize their point totals so far in the 2024 F1 season, as Leclerc is only 38 points behind Championship leader Max Verstappen.
Charles Leclerc Hot on Max Verstappen's Tail
(Photo : Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
38 points may seem like a large number to overcome but as the season progresses, we are beginning to see a crack in Red Bull; and the addition of McLaren to the fight may seem like an impediment for Ferrari initially, but the British team could actually aid in the Italian Constructor's chances at pulling the 2024 F1 Championship right from underneath Red Bull.
If Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz continue to perform at their peaks, and McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri continue to stay on pace with Ferrari and Red Bull; McLaren could act as a buffer for Ferrari, challenging Red Bull and potentially pushing them down the grid.
Now, we can't act like the more likely scenario is that McLaren will be duking it out with Ferrari, ultimately hurting the Scuderia's chances, but if the promised upgrades are as good as Ferrari hopes, we could see the Prancing Horses make a huge leap in Imola.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
