On Tuesday, February 13, the presentation of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz’s new single-seater. But in Maranello, everything is ready for the future with Lewis Hamilton’s signing and the engine revolution in 2026.
Inside the Ferrari Racing Division building, they are finishing assembling the SF-24 car. On Tuesday, the seventieth Formula 1 car in Ferrari’s history will be unveiled. But this time, there’s a different atmosphere compared to past launches, marked by ceremonies and long rituals. Debuting online, the first laps will take place on the Fiorano track. Regarding how fast the SF-24 can be will begin to be understood in the Bahrain tests (February 21-23). Events have been faster so far, much faster: Lewis Hamilton’s sensational signing for 2025 has already shifted attention forward, suggesting that this championship, starting on March 2, again on the Sakhir track, could be experienced as another transition season. Not to mention the Christian Horner-gate at Red Bull, the variable that could overturn the World Championship. But that’s another story.
Back to Maranello, the SF-24, which will catch the eye with some chromatic variations (white returns, while in 2023 and 2022, black was the predominant color after red), starts with a team loaded with responsibilities on multiple fronts. Like crash courses, this season risks weighing for three. First of all, this is the first car entirely designed under the management of Fred Vasseur. The French team principal has not changed key figures in the technical organization, so it will be an exam for him and also for the chain of command of the engineers chosen by the previous management. Daughter of a new design philosophy, SF-24 has given drivers good impressions in the simulator.
The goal is not the Championship but to be competitive in a high number of races: meaning aiming for some victories, regularly stepping onto the podium. Then we’ll see. Fred Vasseur wants to pick up where the second part of 2023 left off; his statements focus on eliminating mistakes through constant growth in every area: strategy, pit stops, development. But the early transfer market campaign will have its effects: Carlos Sainz, without a confirmed seat for 2025 but with many open options, will have to prove his worth, however loyal. The internal challenge with Charles Leclerc — freshly renewed — could become incandescent. On the other side, every move or word from Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes will arouse spasmodic interest in anticipation of the switch to red.
The other key aspect concerns 2026, with the change in regulations. A very close horizon represents a redemption opportunity for Ferrari (but also for Mercedes, or for Honda returning alongside Aston Martin). The engine, with an electrical component three times more powerful than the current power units, will once again become predominant. Testing on the benches has already begun, and the next few months will be crucial for performance and reliability research. Three years in one, it’s not a normal season. Not at all.
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