F1: Ferrari and the key to beating Red Bull in 2024 championship. A key aspect in Ferrari battle with Red Bull next season.

Scuderia Ferrari’s comeback in the 2024 Formula 1 championship should be facilitated by the stability of regulations and Pirelli tires, providing a foundation to surpass their third-place finish in the 2023 Constructors’ Championship.

The latter part of the Red Team’s season (post-summer break) has been more positive than anticipated.

Carlos Sainz became the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race in the just-concluded year, while Charles Leclerc could have secured the second seasonal victory for the Prancing Horse in Las Vegas if not for the mid-race Safety Car.

Progress has been evident, but will it be enough to challenge the Max Verstappen-Red Bull duo in 2024?

The importance of tires

Ferrari can leverage stable regulations, along with unchanged Pirelli tires, to bring an evolution of the SF-23 onto the track.

This evolution should not only compete with rivals on a single lap but also enable drivers to manage tires and avoid performance drops on Sunday in the race.

The main weakness of this year’s Ferrari was inconsistency in performance, varying with track conditions or tire behavior.

Thanks to the post-season test in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, the Maranello-based team could focus on a correlational approach between the simulator and the track.

Robert Shwartzman, Ferrari test driver specializing in race support, had the opportunity to drive the SF-23 at Yas Marina.

The Russian, with an Israeli racing license, completed a substantial 123 laps entirely based on data correlation.

Will the effort bear fruit?

This extensive work will undoubtedly help Ferrari understand how to optimize tire usage in 2024, knowing that the regulations undergo no substantial changes, ensuring a positive prospect of competing with Red Bull.

On the other hand, the Austrian team will undoubtedly bring an even faster car than the RB19. It’s up to the Prancing Horse to demonstrate an understanding of this project and how to make the most of it.

Moreover, the upcoming season marks Fred Vasseur‘s second year in charge; having inherited previous work in 2023, this year he could coordinate the team and prepare for 2024, facing his true test as Ferrari’s Team Principal.