Ferrari 2024: what putting faith in Project 676 means for Maranello engineers and management

Ferrari has invested significantly in the 676 project for the upcoming F1 season. A code name that aims to make a clean break with the recent past. A breath of fresh air, in other words, to turn the tide. Described in this way, optimism seems to prevail. However, that’s not the case. On the contrary, there are several concerns plaguing the Maranello team. The first, and most crucial, concerns the ability to translate the work done in the factory onto the track. The numbers generated on computers must correspond to reality on the track for technicians and engineers to feel satisfied.

Making predictions at this moment is sheer madness. Nothing and no one can make a realistic forecast about the latest aero-mechanical creation of the Prancing Horse. Not even the mere protagonists who, moreover, are too involved to provide an objective judgment. The optimism mentioned above remains, though it never waned, even in the past season when the SF-23 was supposed to showcase hyper-sonic speeds from the first race of the 2023 racing campaign.

This is why expectations remain low. A cautious attitude. To avoid deluding oneself and others. To push until the last minute, useful towards an aspiration that must, by all means, be able to present the best version of itself. The “pompa magna,” therefore, will remain in the cellar. Perhaps for more glorious years. At the moment, it is replaced by a deep awareness of their capabilities acquired during the last championship. A 360-degree information baggage that was and is supposed to guide the correct approach to decidedly higher levels.

There were many things to improve, perhaps too many. The car was undoubtedly one of them in various parts. It has been done. For this reason, the single-seater will be quite “different,” as Enrico Cardile, the technical director of the Scuderia, claims. Reliability was another factor to “pay attention to,” as was strategy, often curious, and sometimes too extravagant to be true. Not to mention the attitude during race weekends. Ferrari has worked on these and other critical points. They did so with a clear awareness: the road to reach Red Bull is truly steep.

“If there is a team in the world capable of narrowing the gap with the reigning world champions, it is the Italian one.” The phrase sounds quite romantic when linked to Ferrari, especially if mentioned by Carlos Sainz. At Christmas, they say “we are all kinder,” or at least that should be the case. For this reason, observing the notebook related to the last 16 years, we could easily add: “If there is a team in the world capable of losing despite ample resources, it is precisely the Italian one.”

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Harsh? Perhaps. But hiding behind a finger on December 25th wouldn’t make much sense. To be a little less harsh, we can speculate on the words of the Spaniard who, for some seasons now, has been on the payroll of the Maranello team. The target that the Prancing Horse dreams of is one of those rather demanding. But fortunately, from what the editorial team of FUnoanalisitecnica has learned in recent weeks, this time, it has been done with a certain awareness. All thanks to the rich know-how wanted and built with so much effort during the last failed 2023 Formula One season.

Showing a lot of progress throughout the year is positive? Well, yes… it could be nothing else. It means that despite having limited resources and time, the “construction of knowledge” has gradually found refuge in the minds of Ferrari fans. Awareness of the salient points of the current regulatory body, in fact, has allowed Ferrari technicians to focus on the distinctive and fundamental traits, which were obviously impossible to ignore to do a good job. “Hitting the right key” means hitting the target.

And patience if Red Bull will still be ahead of everyone at the start of the next championship. The scenario just described is the most likely. However, the fact of being able to approach the Austrian team would be a very welcome fact. The path has been set, and the presentation date is also set: February 13, 2024. A day when, globally, the Maranello team will unveil the livery and the chosen technical approach. Ultimately, here are some questions that could be useful for the reasoning expressed in today’s article.

How long does Ferrari still intend to fill the eyes of others with victories? Is the 676 project not affected by the old management (Mattia Binotto); perhaps that’s why the hopes that it will work are higher? Can the new engineers hired by the team already make an impact? Although the questions would be more, we stop here, since finding answers to those already exposed does not seem easy at all. Whoever has them or simply wants to express their opinion about it can write in the comments below.