Scuderia Ferrari has been dreaming of beating Red Bull since 2022, when Formula 1 introduced its new rules, that were initially planned for 2021 before being delayed due to the pandemic, which were aimed at improving the show, first and foremost, with Formula 1 hoping for unpredictability and plenty of excitement. The rule changes meant we had a completely new generation of cars. The concept, marking one of the biggest technical changes in Formula 1 history, had been overhauled from previous years and was, in essence, a simplified yet striking new-look race car following a drastic aerodynamics overhaul. The plan worked for about six months, as Ferrari started the 2022 season great, with two race wins from the first three events, but also some power unit issues and plenty of questionable strategic decisions, before being outdeveloped by Red Bull in the second half of the season.
The F1-75 therefore tried, the SF-23 then wasn’t up to the task. And the SF-24? Can it do it this year? This is a tough question, the kind that gives you a headache. Almost a congenital migraine, endured by Ferrari fans tired of listening to the Dutch anthem which, to be honest, besides being sleep-inducing, is persistently annoying to hear all the time. Mercedes, in all this, seems to only be able to watch. A car, the W15, incapable of making it into the list of hopefuls. At least for now, to be clear.
The same goes for McLaren and Aston Martin. Single-seaters designed to impress with undoubtedly unconventional solutions that, during the first two races of the 2024 Formula 1 season, highlighted a fact: they are behind Maranello’s project 676, despite Ferrari being prematurely branded as too conventional. After the official car presentations, the British media was informing us that the SF-24 lacked distinctive traits that could innovate, as opposed to its rivals. Yet the “conservative” Italian car easily plays the role of the second force on track, despite everything.
Living in the row of the disillusioned is not the fate of the team led by Frederic Vasseur. A management that seems different in several respects. More sincere, just like the weapon in the hands of its drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. A Formula 1 single-seater that has provided the necessary degree of security to an inexperienced and physically unprepared eighteen-year-old like Oliver Bearman, a talent from the Ferrari Driver Academy. Ollie gave his all, perhaps even more. And if he was able to do so without making the slightest error, it’s also thanks to the SF-24. On this point, we agree, right?
All this introduction feeds a line of reasoning. A possibility that, at the current state of affairs, remains such until the track confirms the hypothesis: Ferrari seems to be the only team capable of challenging and beating the Red Bull RB20 this year. This idea is closely linked to a topic which has been often discussed in the recent past when it comes to the Prancing Horse. We refer to the upgrades capable of enhancing the car’s competitiveness throughout the Formula 1 championship.
Ferrari: The Next Updates on the SF-24 Have a Clear Goal
McLaren has shown that achieving a significant and solid performance leap is not science fiction. Not even when the budget cap, which clearly limits the potential strengthening of the current generation of cars, regulates the introduction of updates on the single-seater. A plan of action that Andrea Stella, former Ferrari now team principal at Woking, intends to propose again during the current year before the summer.
Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection! Click here to enter the F1 online Store and shop securely! And also get your F1 tickets for every race with VIP hospitality and unparalleled insider access. Click here for the best offers to support Charles and Carlos from the track!
The goal? To replicate the concrete and substantial evolutionary step. All very nice and clear, at least on paper. And in this case, as always, only the track will be able to validate the Spanish engineer’s thesis or, on the contrary, refute the possibility, relegating last year’s exploit as a one-off. But since luck only partly exists in the most important motorsport series, a job well done can certainly be productive.
And this is precisely the veiled message that Scuderia Ferrari has recently launched, through a confident but not too aggressive Fred Vasseur, always careful not to release an overly bold communication message. Let’s get to the point, as another question emerges in thought: how will the significant update package planned for the first week of April transform the SF-24 car?
Another question that answering at this moment might be a bit complicated. It’s wiser to circle around it, considering some factors. The 2024 version of the red car carries with it an native quality. A considerable merit. Substantial, in short: compared to the 2023 single-seater, the Italian car has a wider operating window compared which allows Ferrari, with the skill of drivers and technicians, the possibility to identify the optimal working point a lot more easier. Hence, there’s no rush or anxiety.
Charles Leclerc does not expect revolutions in the next round of the season, the Australian Grand Prix, which will take place at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne. There will be something different, which can be described as a small changes useful to the Australian event that will precede the real technical adjustment expected for Suzuka. A crucial moment for Ferrari in view of the rest of the season. In Latin there is a phrase that says “Respice post te. Hominem te memento.” A kind of “watch your backs because you too are men.” Well… perhaps this is what Ferrari thinks of Red Bull. They are human, right? They can make mistakes or, simply, not be able to achieve as significant an improvement as the “conservative” red car. This hope is fueled by hard work that never stops in Formula 1. But this is also true for Red Bull and it may very well happen that the Austrian team will also be able to significantly develop its new RB20 design and even increase its advantage over the SF-24, which currently stands at about five tenths per lap in terms of race pace.
A possible event or outcome that, however, should not worry the Ferrari Racing Division because the only real joint thought of the racing department must aim towards a clear goal: to remove that mocking smile from Red Bull’s faces, at least occasionally. Bring them back down to Earth. Make them understand, in essence, that at the first distraction, their rear “is vulnerable.” In a sporting manner, of course.
Source: Alessandro Arcari for FUnoanalisitecnica
Leave a Reply