Written by Carl Hilliard, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz managed a third and fifth place finish respectively, as Max Verstappen was able to hold off a charging Lando Norris and McLaren to claim victory at the 2024 Emilia Romagna GP on Sunday.
Leclerc managed to set the pace during the first practice session on Friday (1.16.990), with teammate Sainz managing to go third fastest (1.17.120), while Red Bull and Verstappen showed signs of major struggles around the Italian circuit during the early sessions of the weekend.
During FP2 later in the afternoon, it was the Monegasque driver who claimed the fastest time again (1.15.906), with Sainz only managing to go sixth quickest on the day (1.16.423). It was during qualifying where the SF-24 showed a lot of good signs, as both Ferrari drivers claimed a second row lockout, with Leclerc in third (1.14.970), and Sainz fourth (1.15.233). This was due to Oscar Piastri suffering a grid penalty, demoting him further down the field.
Throughout the race on Sunday, Verstappen was able to keep his grip on the lead for the majority, keeping a healthy gap on the rest of the grid behind. It was Norris who put the pressure on, who charged from over five seconds behind, to eventually cross the line just 0.7s behind Verstappen.
On lap 27, Leclerc overtook Sergio Perez in the RB20 to take third position, with Sainz doing the exact same move only four laps later to take a P4 finish. This cemented a third and fifth at the finish when the two drivers crossed the line.
It seems the Tifosi were happy with this result, being the best the team could hope for, as Red Bull and McLaren both just a little too quick for the SF-24 this weekend. It was also the first Ferrari podium at Imola since Michael Schumacher’s victory at Imola 18 years ago. This result puts Ferrari second in the 2024 Constructors’ Championship, with a points haul of 212 so far.
The Maranello team look ahead to the next race weekend, as they travel to Monte-Carlo for the Monaco GP, with an even better result in sight.