After the Imola stage, Scuderia Ferrari has already shifted focus to the rest of the 2024 Formula 1 season, with the second package of updates expected to debut during the Silverstone weekend.
Despite some dissatisfaction among fans for a result perhaps slightly below expectations (especially in qualifying), the updates introduced by Ferrari on the SF24 at Imola have nevertheless shown initial benefits, although it will take a few more Grands Prix to see the full potential.
Ferrari now needs to accelerate updates
Given the gap Charles Leclerc had to Max Verstappen at the finish line in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, it is undeniable that the Maranello team has made another significant step forward in the pursuit that, hopefully, will allow Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to consistently fight for victory in the second third of the championship against Red Bull, and from Miami also against McLaren.
It was the Woking team, thanks to yet another splendid performance by Lando Norris, that “spoiled” the red party at Imola, with the Briton getting in between Red Bull and Ferrari in qualifying and putting great pressure on Max Verstappen in the final laps of the race.
The Imola package is just the first of three upgrades the Prancing Horse will introduce this season, with the upcoming races crucial for determining the true value of what was partially seen this weekend.
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According to the Italian media, Ferrari started working on the second update even before the filming day at Fiorano, with the package expected to debut during the Silverstone weekend. The British Gran Prix is scheduled for early July. Unless there are changes along the way, no further interventions are planned before the summer break.
“We are at a point where we need to accelerate development,” stated team principal Frederic Vasseur in the usual post-race press conference with the media. “Imagine if someone brings an upgrade one race early when there are three teams within a tenth. You can go from fifth to first place. We also need to be aware that we are chasing the last tenths, and it’s no longer about a five-tenths upgrade.” – the French manager pointed out.
“This means you also need to be sure that what you’re bringing works. This will be the key factor in the next two events.”
Both Fred Vasseur and the drivers had already tempered expectations on the eve of the weekend, indicating the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit as not ideal for evaluating the package overall.
The first important test is now awaited in Monaco in a week, on a track where, even more than at Imola, it will be crucial to get the qualifying lap right, perhaps the only real weakness of an SF24 single-seater that has been very solid in the first seven outings of the 2024 F1 championship.
Source: f1ingenerale
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