The SF-24 has already been shipped to Sakhir, where on Wednesday, the only pre-season test session with all teams will begin. Technicians from Maranello have gathered positive information both in the dynamic bench tests and during the filming day. Those with the stopwatch mentioned a pace six to eight tenths faster than the disappointing SF-23.
The Ferrari SF-24 has been sent to Bahrain: on Wednesday, the only pre-season test session will commence, finally providing a sense of how the winter break may have changed the field’s dynamics with the debut of the new cars.
All eyes are on the Sakhir track, which will be called upon to provide the first judgments on the 2024 cars. The presumed convergence towards the lines of the Red Bull RB19, the car that dominated the 2023 championship with Max Verstappen, has occurred less than anticipated.
The Scuderia, with the new red car, has corrected the mistakes that had influenced the performance of the SF-23, and it seems to have put on the track a very consistent car. Fast? It is obviously too early to say, but the two hundred kilometers of last Wednesday’s filming day went smoothly without the slightest hitch, a sign that the preparatory work on the dynamic bench has been fruitful in starting the on-track development on the right foot.
Therefore, the SF-24 comes with different credentials than the cars that preceded it the previous year: all indicators are decidedly more positive, confirming the smiling faces of both drivers and technicians.
It’s not quite the time to talk about performance (we’ll wait for that during the three days in Bahrain in direct comparison with the competition), but to strengthen the consistency of the red car, we can add that the pace with Pirelli demo tires was significantly better than that of the SF-23. This is partly due to the fact that porpoising was not observed, and the chronic tendency to understeer that characterized last year’s car was also absent.
The goal of providing the drivers with an “easy” car to drive and less critical in setup seems to have been achieved: the SF-24 is gentler on the tires, a sign that the new layout (longer chassis and shorter gearbox) will contribute to making the red car more stable. Some outside the team even recorded lap times: no attempt to set a Fiorano track record with little fuel in the tank, but some passages were seen six to eight tenths better than the disastrous debut on the home track last year.
It’s not time for grandiose statements because the feedback in February 2023 was far from encouraging, and problems emerge when the car is pushed to the limit. However, the indications for now are genuinely encouraging: Ferrari is aligned with the project targets.
Will they be enough to challenge the Red Bull RB20 with its shapes so different from the car that dominated with 22 wins out of 23 races? Obviously, we don’t know, but a more precise verdict will come this week with the tests that will begin to provide indications on the potential of cars born with very different solutions.
Will Max Verstappen be vulnerable? Adrian Newey’s car has boldly interpreted the development of his winning concepts with theoretically innovative and groundbreaking solutions. Will the “genius” go his own way again to be chased again?
Ferrari has not sought leaps into the unknown, opting for very rational choices: will putting everything in its right place be enough to restore confidence and enthusiasm to the fans of the Prancing Horse? By midweek, we will understand who has sold smoke and who has focused on substance…
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