Scuderia Ferrari have unveiled the first images of the SF-24 following a launch event at the team’s track at Fiorano on Tuesday.
Ferrari had regressed in 2023 compared to their achievements particularly in the early part of the season. However they did improve over the course of the season, and were able to achieve the only non-Red Bull grand prix victory of the season when Carlos Sainz took the chequered flag in Singapore.
The Scuderia had been strong over one lap, scoring six pole positions over the course of the season, though they would often fall back during the races, which the raft of changes brought onto Ferrari’s 2024 challenger hopes to rectify.
Charles Leclerc is positive that the car is a step in the right direction, noting “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.”
The SF-24 will be the last Ferrari that Carlos Sainz will drive for the team, as he will be replaced by 7-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. However this hasn’t tempered his positivity over the car going into the season. ““When I saw the SF-24 for the first time, I couldn’t wait to jump in and fire it up. Now, I’m looking forward to driving it on track to see if it correlates with the feeling I had from the simulator, which is that it’s the step forward we all want. The aim is to have a car that’s more driveable and therefore able to run at a consistent race pace”.
Fred Vasseur commented on the driver lineup for 2025, commenting that the decision to drop Sainz was “one of the most difficult” calls he’s had to make, but that the chance to sign Lewis Hamilton presented a “huge opportunity.”
“We are sure that he will bring us a decent step for the future, I think it will be a good challenge for everybody. But we want to be focused on 2024. We don’t want to have any kind of distraction. And it’s also why we made the announcement so early.
“I think for the team the opportunity of Lewis is something that you have to consider in any case, he is the guy with the biggest experience”.
