There is no doubt that Ferrari remains one of the most iconic names in motorsports. This is certainly true within the world of Formula One, where they have enjoyed huge success over a long period. Who, for example, can forget their numerous constructors’ championship wins, or how Michael Schumacher dominated the drivers’ championship for the team during the early 2000s?
Keen Scuderia Ferrari fans will therefore be keeping an eye on how the team fares over the course of the 2024 Formula One season. Their current campaign has seen drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. retain their seats after what was ultimately a disappointing 2023 season. Despite this, news is already swirling of plans to strengthen the team roster moving ahead.
But how might the 2024 championship go for Ferrari, and what changes might they make to become stronger looking forward?
F1 Championship 2024: how might Scuderia Ferrari do?
To get an idea of why the team is actively looking to strengthen their roster, it is worth starting with why this might be the case and how things could pan out in the current season. A good indicator is the general feeling in the betting markets, with the Kwiff Community currently in favour of the team in 2024.
In many ways, this is positive, because Sainz Jr. and Leclerc only have Max Verstappen ahead of them in the betting to take the championship. By the same token, only Red Bull is ahead of them in the constructor’s championship betting. A win in the 2024 Australian Gran Prix for Sainz Jr. also bodes well, as does the positive feeling around the SF-24 car and the general form of Leclerc.
Two aspects, though, highlight why the team seem to be looking to strengthen their roster. Firstly, Sainz Jr.’s contract is up after this season and they seem keen to bring in a new driver who represents something of an upgrade. Scuderia Ferrari also want to be the best and will never be content with second place. With no drivers’ or constructors’ championship wins since the late 2000s, team bosses are looking at ways to rectify this.
How might Ferrari look to strengthen their team roster?
With driver contracts in place for 2024, there will be no immediate movement on changes to make the Ferrari team roster stronger. News of Formula One icon Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari for 2025, however, demonstrates that this will not be true after the campaign is done.
It is fair to say that this news was something of a shock within the sport, as many had thought Hamilton had committed his future to Mercedes. It has been reported that he’s activated a release clause in his contract that will see him move to Scuderia Ferrari as from next year. This will see him replace Sainz Jr. and means that Ferrari’s roster will become a lot stronger with a multiple Formula One championship winner on board.
With Leclerc having inked a new multi-year contract at the end of January, next year’s driver lineup for the team looks a lot hotter. If the cars can support their immense talents, you could well see one of them winning the championship in 2025.
In terms of any future plans to strengthen the team, reported moves to take top engineer Adrian Newey from Red Bull in 2025 must also be mentioned. This would not only bring a top-tier talent into the fold to create more memorable Ferrari moments but also weaken a main rival.
Could young driver Oliver Bearman help them become stronger for the long term?
Although the addition of Hamilton and maybe Newey in 2025 will give Ferrari a real boost, the overall strength of any Formula One team also lies in longer-term plans. This would be especially true if you consider that Hamilton may retire from the sport after a swansong with Ferrari – even though he is meant to be on a multi-year contract.
With that in mind, it seems that the team’s links with hot young racing prospect Oliver Bearman are a wise move to remain competitive. Listed as the team’s reserve driver for the current season, he stepped in during the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and put in a very impressive performance. It looks like Bearman has the ability to become a major Formula One star and he could be key to Ferrari becoming stronger in the future.
Ferrari making plans to strengthen roster
News of Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Scuderia Ferrari certainly made headlines and showed that the Italian team are actively looking to become stronger overall. With young gun Oliver Bearman ready to step in when needed and Newey maybe on his way from Red Bull, they look to be in a good place.
Leave a Reply