Ferrari are back on top in Formula 1 following a stellar 2024 season where they challenged for a championship until the final race for the first time in 12 years.
Despite being unable to claim the Constructors’ Championship, both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz won multiple races for the Scuderia this season.
It marked the first time Ferrari had achieved that since 2008 – the year they last claimed a title with Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa behind the wheel.
Leclerc will face Lewis Hamilton in 2025 as the seven-time champion moves to partner him from close rivals Mercedes.
It could help them to elevate their performance even further, with a little extra required to overcome McLaren who are just a little bit faster than them currently.
The winter break provides an opportunity for everyone to make big gains. Ferrari are expected to take a risk with Hamilton’s first car as they chase a first championship in 17 years which could give them that little bit extra.
Charles Leclerc says ‘special’ Italian Grand Prix celebrations were ‘crazy’ with Tifosi
Naturally, all of their focus is on the future for now but they did achieve some special things in 2024 which will be remembered for a long time.
Sainz came back from appendicitis surgery to win two weeks later in Melbourne and Leclerc won the two events the team wanted to win the most at both the Monaco Grand Prix and Italian Grand Prix.
READ MORE: Charles Leclerc fans now agree he’s ‘clearly better’ than Lando Norris after seeing one 2024 F1 stat
Looking back on the Monza triumph, the Monegasque driver revealed how crazy it was to celebrate with the Tifosi after the race.
“Monza is always a very, very special week. Not only [the] grand prix but I think it’s a whole week,” he said.
“From the Tuesday it starts in Milan with so much passion, and then as soon as you get to the track, you can understand how much it means for everybody within the team.
“The fact that we managed to do it this year was very, very special. And then of course the podium with the Tifosi, it’s just crazy.”
Will Ferrari improve in 2025 or go backwards with Lewis Hamilton?
The opportunity for Leclerc to learn from another great of the sport is a fantastic chance for him to refine his skills and approach to racing.
He’s been touted as a Formula 1 champion in the making for a long time and his new teammate may be able to help him achieve what he has been chasing for his entire career.
READ MORE: The skill Lewis Hamilton learned in his ‘karting days’ that may help him at Ferrari in 2025 F1 season
Hamilton brings the experience of a winning operation and the mentality associated with it which will act as a model for how his colleagues should act.
He has a good relationship with new team boss Fred Vasseur and they have a car which should be able to compete for victories.
The danger is that they have a rich history of choosing the wrong development path for their cars. A Spanish Grand Prix upgrade this year arguably cost them a title and they cannot afford for that to happen again.
