The data collected on the track during the first filming day at Fiorano confirmed the positive indications observed in the wind tunnel and on the dynamometer over ten days of testing with the complete car. The SF-24 did not exhibit porpoising and gave drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz a sensation of being more responsive and easier to drive. Compared to the car’s launch configuration seen on Tuesday, the first modifications have been observed.
How is the Ferrari SF-24 performing? There’s a buzz among the Maranello team’s fans waiting for insights into the red car’s behavior at Fiorano at the end of the filming day, during which Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc took turns discovering the new car, covering 100 km each.
No one ventured comments, but the smiles on the faces of the team in the pit box speak volumes. Meanwhile, the first information is emerging: the track has confirmed the data that the engineers had seen in the wind tunnel and on the dynamometer, where the red car underwent about ten days of intensive testing with the complete vehicle.
The two drivers, on the other hand, experienced driving the SF-24 and found the sensations they had in the simulator when the Ferrari was still recognizable with the project code 676. The Scuderia, aside from the commercial shots that were part of the work program for both the Monegasque and the Spaniard, completed all the planned runs.
The first reassuring data for the drivers was the absence of porpoising, the nightmare that had affected the SF-23 from its early steps on the home track. The new Ferrari immediately proved to be easier to drive, meeting the project goals set by Enrico Cardile and his team.
Following the test run, there were Fred Vasseur and Vice President Piero Ferrari, while President John Elkann actively participated in stickering the red car. The feeling is that there is a reunification of the top management with F1, although a brief presentation was imposed that did little to satisfy the Ferrari fans who did not have the privilege of being by the Fiorano track, visible from a few points outside.
Compared to the car seen in the studio photos for the launch, the filming day revealed the first modifications: the front wing was changed with a final profile less straight and more suitable for generating the outwash effect, but with a visible gurney flap in the central part. There was also the appearance of a Gurney flap on the rear wing’s mobile flap to ensure the necessary aerodynamic load on a slow track like Fiorano.
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Engineers on the track, led by Matteo Togninalli, performed various ground clearance tests to understand how the car reacts to the new aerodynamic map, which should offer a broader tire usage window. Simultaneously, tests were conducted on the setup of the new rear suspension, moved with the kinematics further towards the tail: the pull-rod is inside the triangle, while on the SF-23, it pointed towards the front with an accentuated and non-ideal angle.
Other small changes were also present: Carlos Sainz had started yesterday morning with a bazooka without open slots (there were four gills at the launch), but then, as the air temperature increased, a release of hot air on each side was observed.
The SF-24 has been designed to be modular in the bodywork: it hasn’t gone unnoticed that the belly on the outer side has already changed. A slightly more sculpted configuration was tested (noticeable from the Shell area deforming slightly on the new shapes) in search of greater aerodynamic efficiency.
In the afternoon, Charles Leclerc drove with two slightly different engine covers: one from the presentation and then a more streamlined version. When we described the red car after the launch, we talked about a substantial single-seater without strokes of genius. We can say it’s a car that has started well. Make no mistake; this doesn’t mean it’s a winner. But the progress is undeniable…
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