Where will Ferrari stand this season? After a year of absolute dominance in 2023, all fans and professionals have no trouble pointing to Red Bull and Max Verstappen as the duo to beat in the 2024 Formula One championship starting this weekend in Bahrain. There is more uncertainty about the immediate pursuer, with Ferrari and Mercedes seeming to have struck more than any other observers.
Frederic Vasseur and drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz hope to have taken a step forward from last year and bring home more podium finishes and victories than the sum in the past championship.
Analysis of the SF-24 by engineer Luigi Mazzola
Luigi Mazzola is a familiar face to Ferrari fans, having worked for two decades in Maranello, both in the race team and the test team. Currently collaborating with Sky Italia, he provides his interesting analyses through his Instagram channel. Here are the engineer’s thoughts on the Ferrari SF-24 based on what he has seen during the Bahrain pre-season testing session, in the social media livestream on February 27:
“I think Ferrari had an excellent testing session. I liked how they set it up and how they carried out the program. I didn’t see a Ferrari immediately perfect at the beginning, but they quickly started to put things right. I see things from the outside, and I saw a car that coincides with the statements made by Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. The car is drivable, has shown to be a bit oversteering, a bit focused on the front. But this nervousness did not generate any major slides, a sign that it was still a predictable car. The car improved over the three days; they did qualifying and race simulations, both during the day and at night.” – the former Ferrari engineer pointed out.
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“The car is capable of setting good lap times, is fast on the straight, seemed stable, drivable, although a bit oversteering. Leclerc said it’s pleasant to drive and has a good feeling, but there’s still something to improve, something that needs to be addressed. I’m thinking about this slightly dancing rear. Also, I never heard the drivers talk about the wind, a sign that it’s quite neutral to changes or the intensity of the wind. Lap time consistency? Hard tires towards the evening… I think it’s normal to have consistency; otherwise, it would be a disaster. There are several positive elements; I believe Ferrari will be high in the qualifying position, but we’ll have to see the improvements compared to others.” – Luigi Mazzola concluded.
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