Ferrari SF24: in Austin with long-awaited extreme front wing, but not complete package. Ferrari's planned changes with the latest aerodynamic update package will be split into two steps.

Now, the talk is over: it’s time for action. Formula 1 returns to rev its engines with the United States Grand Prix after a month-long break. The Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay street circuit seems like it was ages ago, and the entire motorsport series is buzzing with excitement for the start of the final quarter of the 2024 Formula 1 season, with six events remaining to settle all unresolved matters.

Ferrari, strengthened by the arrival of Loic Serra as technical director for the chassis area and Jerome D’Ambrosio as deputy team principal, has headed to Texas at the 5.513-kilometre Circuit of The Americas in Austin with the clear goal of confirming the good form of the SF-24, although Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have collected less than expected in Baku and Marina Bay.

Like all other top teams, the Maranello team will bring technical updates to Texas: we were told that what we will see in the United States will be the last evolutionary aerodynamic package of the SF-24 single-seater, but the feeling is that the planned changes will be split into two steps. So, not just Austin, but also Mexico City.

It is unclear whether the splitting of updates into two separate steps is due to a delay in the approval of certain components or whether, with only one free practice session available during the Sprint Race weekend, they don’t want to overload with too many changes.

In any case, we will see a Ferrari that will change in two stages just one week apart, as the high-altitude race is back-to-back with the Texan one. One thing seems certain: the front wing with a more extreme mobile flap will make its debut in Austin, while some floor elements might appear in Mexico.

In the “rearmament” race involving Red Bull, Mercedes, and also McLaren, the current technical benchmark car, it will be interesting to see if there are any shifts in the pecking order we have seen in the last three GPs. Ferrari is working to chase and catch Red Bull for second place in the Constructors’ Championship, while it seems more difficult to aim for the MCL38, which is capitalizing on its ability to be a “universal” car, capable of excelling on every type of track.