Ferrari at risk of being overshadowed by McLaren in fight against Red Bull

Lando Norris' two incredible weekends have put pressure on Ferrari to bounce back.

Ferrari at risk of being overshadowed by McLaren in fight against Red Bull

Charles Leclerc [L] Max Verstappen [C] Lando Norris [R] (images via IMAGO)

Red Bull Racing has dominated Formula 1 since the start of the ground-effect era in 2022. Max Verstappen seemed unstoppable, particularly in 2023 as he bagged consecutive race victories. The 2024 season seemed to be different with Ferrari making gains against Milton Keynes. However, McLaren might have already left behind the Scuderia in this fight.

Scuderia Ferrari was the closest rival to Max Verstappen and Red Bull since 2022. Carlos Sainz was the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race last season. The Spaniard continued this momentum this year with a surprise victory at the Australian GP. However, things seem to have be on the decline for Maranello since.

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McLaren brought upgrades at the Miami GP for Lando Norris, followed by a package for Oscar Piastri at Imola. Immediately, the Woking-based team saw results as Norris emerged victorious in Miami and came close to winning the Emilia Romagna GP. Now, it seems that Ferrari is at risk of being overshadowed by McLaren in the fight against Verstappen and Red Bull.

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Ferrari loses the limelight to Lando Norris and McLaren

Fans had high hopes for the Scuderia at the start of the 2024 season. The Italian team solidified its ambitions after announcing Lewis Hamilton’s arrival for 2025. Moreover, Fred Vasseur‘s leadership had vastly improved the work culture at Maranello. However, McLaren seems to have gained an edge against Ferrari on-track.

Carlos Sainz, Fred Vasseur and Charles Leclerc.
Carlos Sainz, Fred Vasseur and Charles Leclerc (Via IMAGO)

McLaren has arguably left Ferrari behind in the development race with the recent upgrades. Lando Norris has even successfully managed Max Verstappen on pure pace in the last two races. Although, Ferrari is not far behind in the pecking order. Norris is now only 12 points behind second-placed Charles Leclerc in the standings. With 17 races to go this season, the McLaren driver could easily out-perform the Monegasque.

On the other hand, Ferrari maintains a healthy 58 point advantage to the Woking-based team. However, this figure could decrease quickly if the Scuderia does not manage to pick up the pace and charge for victories. Moreover, if Maranello continues to fall behind, it could make Lewis Hamilton lose some confidence in his future team.

Certainly, Fred Vasseur would be looking to bounce back this weekend in Monaco. The Italian team needs to fight for race victories against Max Verstappen and even McLaren to ensure that it stays on par with rivals. However, it remains to be seen if the Scuderia could successfully turn things around in the coming weeks.

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