Scuderia Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur prefers not to raise expectations too high regarding the updates Ferrari will introduce on the SF24 in the next round of the 2024 Formula 1 championship, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, which is set to take place at the Imola circuit. Despite McLaren returning from Miami with a full haul thanks to Lando Norris’s impressive victory at the Miami International Autodrome in Florida, Ferrari can still look ahead confidently in the championship, having secured a podium with Charles Leclerc, following an excellent second place in the sprint.
The performance highlighted by the SF24 in Florida was unexpected, as it was the only car among the top teams not to have received significant updates yet.
While Red Bull and McLaren have introduced important development packages between Suzuka and Miami, the Maranello team has chosen to continue with the basic platform in the first six races of the 2024 Formula 1 season, with Imola becoming a crucial juncture to understand whether there are conditions to realistically fight for the title.
Speaking with the Italian and international media at the end of the Miami race weekend, Frédéric Vasseur confirmed upgrades in the pipeline but refrained from raising expectations too high: “We’re at a point in the development of these cars where updates don’t lead to a huge leap. We shouldn’t only think about updates but also the work we do on track.” – the Ferrari boss explained.
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Nevertheless, the Frenchman is aware that, with such a tight grid, even finding a few tenths can still make a difference: “We shouldn’t expect updates to be decisive, but they will still bring performance in such a closely matched group.” – he added.
Explaining why Imola was chosen as the venue to introduce the first developments, Fred Vasseur commented: “We’re pushing on developments, and as soon as we’re ready, we’ll send the parts into production. The fact that Imola is close to the factory helps because we can bring the updates later, but it has nothing to do with the fact that it’s the home race.” – the French manager concluded at the end of the Miami Grand Prix.
Source: f1ingenerale
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