Lewis Hamilton "definitely" believes Ferrari has benefited from their SF-24 rear-suspension upgrade, a crucial development for the team.
Why it matters
The upgrade, introduced in Belgium, has shown promising signs of improving Ferrari's performance. Charles Leclerc secured a podium in Belgium and a stunning pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix, highlighting the car's potential.
The Big Picture
Ferrari had aimed for title contention in F1 2024 but currently sits P2 in the Constructors' Championship, a significant 299 points behind runaway leaders McLaren. While Leclerc has been adept at extracting performance, collecting five podiums, Hamilton is yet to score a top-three result as he adapts to the Ferrari machinery.
The Details
Hamilton confirmed his positive view on the upgrade to the media, stating, "The upgrade, I think, is a real positive. I think there's more opportunity to extract more from it, so we're still fine-tuning it."
The Hungarian Grand Prix saw a mixed bag for Ferrari:
- Hamilton failed to make the Q3 cut.
- Leclerc secured his and Ferrari's first pole of the season, but faded to a P4 finish due to a chassis issue, initially expressing frustration with the team before the cause was identified.
Despite his P12 finish in Hungary, Hamilton remained optimistic about the car's progression. "Yeah, definitely some improvements that we've made on the upgrades," he reaffirmed. "The car is definitely progressing, so we have to keep trying to extract more from it."
Leclerc currently holds fifth place in the Drivers' standings, 42 points ahead of Hamilton.
What's Next
Ferrari's focus will be on continuing to fine-tune the SF-24 and fully unlock the potential of the suspension upgrade to close the gap to McLaren in the remaining races.