Ferrari Thinks This 2024 F1 Car Can Grab More Wins, But Not The Championship

Image: Ferrari

Ferrari officially unveiled its 2024 Formula 1 car on Tuesday at the company’s private testing track in Fiorano, Italy. Beyond the added yellow and white stripes, the Ferrari has been completely overhauled during the offseason to take advantage of the team’s uptick in form at the end of last season. However, the venerable Italian team has somewhat tempered expectations heading into 2024.

Michael Mann’s Ferrari Is A Great Car Movie

According to the Race, team principal Fred Vasseur stated over the winter that the 2024 car features 95 percent new components. Ferrari was able to get more pace out of the SF-23 as the year went on. Carlos Sainz’s victory in Singapore last September was the blemish on Red Bull Racing’s perfect season and arguably the high point of Ferrari’s season. On the SF-24, Charles Leclerc said in a release:

“The SF-24 ought to be less sensitive and easier to drive and for us drivers that’s what you need in order to do well. I expect the car to be a step forward in several areas and from the impression I formed in the simulator I think we’re where we want to be. This season the aim is to be front runners all the time and I want to give our fans plenty to cheer about, by dedicating race wins to them.”

Image: Ferrari

Note that Leclerc isn’t taking aim at Red Bull or Max Verstappen or outright declaring the world championship as a target. Ferrari is simply hoping to grab a couple more race wins and consistently be at the front. Unlike Aston Martin’s technical Dan Fallows, who called Red Bull “absolutely beatable,” Ferrari is being realistic about where it stands in the pecking order.

Formula 1 is a competition fought over seasons, not races. The Italian outfit knows that gradual improvements could put its cars in a better position for when Lewis Hamilton joins the team in 2025 or when the next major rules change happens in 2026.