Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz is clear, this is the path to make the Ferrari SF-24 competitive with upcoming updates. The Spaniard, only fifth at the finish line in the Chinese Grand Prix after a weekend of ups and downs, confesses he did not have high expectations for the Shanghai event. Simulations did not promise great performance from the Maranello car, but the big gap seen against McLaren and Red Bull is a warning sign.
Scuderia Ferrari therefore returns to Italy with a bitter taste. In China, the race pace boasted in the first rounds of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship was not seen. There was a lot of struggle on hard tires, which the SF-24 had difficulty getting up to temperature. The pace on the mediums was better, as highlighted by Frédéric Vasseur, but the problems to be solved are clear, starting with the performance on a single lap.
“It wasn’t a good weekend for us,” Carlos Sainz confirmed at the end of the Chinese Grand Prix. “We simply were not competitive enough. We clearly lacked pace compared to Lando Norris’s McLaren. Finishing fourth and fifth, after a bad start and my very early pit stop to do just one stop, is actually a good result.” – he added.
“In tracks like Shanghai, but also Suzuka, we need something,” the Spaniard explained in his interview with the international media following the Shanghai round – “If we want to be stronger on circuits like these, we need a better package. For Miami, however, I have better feelings. It won’t be as easy as in Australia, but I am convinced that our car will adapt better to the circuit.” – Carlos Sainz concluded.
The need for an update step for the SF-24 single-seater is evident. It’s not useful to dwell on the problems, as China is only the first of five races that have exacerbated the issues with the Red car. It’s likely that the setup adopted after the Sprint Race had a negative impact on the performance of the car. All this is experience in preparation for the EVO version of the vehicle, as the Maranello team will introduce an big aerodynamic package in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at the Imola circuit.
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