F1 US Grand Prix: Massive statement everyone missed

Hamilton, Vasseur, Leclerc, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

United States GP

Massive STATEMENT everyone missed in F1 US Grand Prix

Verstappen and Norris' battle distracted from a big story

Daniel Austin

Tuesday 22 October 2024 12:57

Sit down on the sofa on a Sunday afternoon to watch any sort of sporting contest and you would expect the cameras to be fixed on the battle for victory, right?

Whether on a pitch, court, field, course, canvas or track, the team and/or athlete which is working most impressively to best the competition is surely the centre of attention. This, after all, is the very nature of sport and the foundation of its intense allure.

F1 HEADLINES: McLaren dealt FIA blow as late US GP change CONFIRMED

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But occasionally a sporting victory can be so straightforward, so serenely assured, that focus is shifted elsewhere. Formula 1, with its disparate drivers running at different points on the circuit which cannot be covered in one camera shot, is ripe for narrative flux in broadcasts. And Sunday’s United States Grand Prix was one of the finest examples.

While title rivals Max Verstappen and Lando Norris were tussling over a third-place finish lap after lap on the back straight of the Circuit of the Americas, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was sauntering into the distance entirely unnoticed.

Camera shots daubed in Red Bull navy and McLaren papaya were hardly ever flourished with flashes of Ferrari red.

That is because the Scuderia, consistently the third or fourth-fastest car on the grid throughout the season so far, had built up such a commanding and composed lead of the race that following the progress of Leclerc and team-mate Carlos Sainz was entirely redundant.

Instead, Verstappen and Norris’ limit-stretching squabbles took centre stage, leaving what was an enormously impressive statement from Ferrari to go largely unnoticed.

READ MORE: Late US GP change CONFIRMED

This was Ferrari's first one-two finish in the US since 2006

Why were Ferrari so much better at the US Grand Prix?

Having qualified third and fourth on the grid, Leclerc took advantage of Verstappen and Norris’ jousting off the line to take the lead on the exit of Turn 1, and then never looked back. Sainz, meanwhile, was able to leapfrog Verstappen by undercutting him in the pits and was never troubled from there as he secured a stellar one-two finish for the team.

Afterwards, Leclerc - who took the eighth win of his F1 career - was full of praise for the technical developments the team has made since the summer break.

“The pace of the car today and this weekend overall was really, really good in the race, and that’s mostly thanks to the engineers,” the Monegasque driver said. “They’ve been working like crazy in the last few months to bring the upgrades that we’ve had in Singapore and in the last few races, and it seems to be paying off.”

Those updates have focused on the floor and the front wing. Earlier in the season, especially across the second third of the campaign, Ferrari struggled consistently with bouncing in higher speed corners. The downforce of the car was significantly compromised, and the drivers’ lives were made significantly more difficult.

Impressive recent outings in Monza and Azerbaijan, where Leclerc finished first and second respectively, were positive indicators that the team was finally on top of its issues. But a track like the one in Texas, with its high-speed first sector and range of corner speeds, was always going to be the real test of the recent upgrades.

The revamped car passed with flying colours. In qualifying for both the sprint race and grand prix both Ferraris were in real contention, but then in race trim outclassed the competition.

Lewis Hamilton retired on the second lap in Texas after a spin, but was perhaps given reason to be optimistic

What does Ferrari’s improvement mean for the future?

Ferrari have been hampered by two significant issues since F1 entered its latest era of technical regulations in 2022 - weak long run pace compared to one-lap speed, and heavy wear on the tyres. But in Austin they were consistently quicker than their rivals with heavy fuel on board, and were able to make the one-stop tyre strategy work without any issue.

If the most recent developments the team has delivered are already going a long way to countering those hitherto fundamental flaws, then this step forward could be a significant and sustainable one.

In the immediate term, that brings the Scuderia into contention for the constructors’ championship. Just eight points off Red Bull in second and 48 behind leaders McLaren, a few more very strong weekends would bring them into genuine contention. Leclerc for one believes it is possible.

"We've got to target winning the constructors' title," the 27-year-old said. "It's an optimistic goal, but that's what we are here for.

"If we do everything perfect until the end of the season, no matter what McLaren does, if we do better than them, I think we can still clinch that title.

"The whole team is working super well, so [I’m] really, really happy. It’s a long way to go but it’s a good start to this triple header."

But beyond the next five races, the real boon for Ferrari is the foundation they are building themselves for 2025, the last of the current technical era before the upcoming revamp in 2026.

Next season’s cars are likely to be mild evolutions of this season’s machinery, meaning those who finish the campaign in the finest fettle are likely to be in a strong position to challenge for the both the drivers’ and constructors’ titles next time around.

Without a drivers’ title since 2007, and with Lewis Hamilton set to replace Sainz, team principal Frederic Vasseur could be setting his squad up to be in its strongest shape in decades.

If that is the case, the F1 cameras will be focused far more on Ferrari than they were in Texas on Sunday. But for now, swaggering into the southern sunset with the silver in hand while chaos unfurls behind them will do just fine.

Max Verstappen Ferrari Formula 1 Lando Norris Charles Leclerc United States Grand Prix