Despite finishing second in 2022, Ferrari’s slow start to the 2023 season saw them slip down to third in the standings. There were plenty of problems that they had to spend a lot of time identifying before they could think of developing the car to be better. However, coming into 2024, Charles Leclerc expects better progress throughout the season in their effort to catch up to Red Bull.
Leclerc said, as quoted by Formula Passion, “This year, however, there is nothing wrong with the car. At least it does everything we expect. Which is a good place to start. And we can focus on growing him right away, which gives me confidence that the rate of development will be better than last year.”
2024 started with Red Bull dominating, which has become a common theme now. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez (in that order) led the team to two 1-2 finishes in the opening two rounds. Ferrari meanwhile, have two P3 finishes in their name- one each for Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
Ferrari still seem to be miles behind Red Bull, but their true development and progress is expected to be on full display in the later races. Their car last year, the SF-23, had issues with race-pace and tire wear. This year’s car, the SF-24, has considerably improved in that regard, if Leclerc’s words are taken into account.
Still, aiming for wins will be hard. The gap to Red Bull is still huge, and Verstappen won both races so far with unprecedented ease. In the opening race in Bahrain, the Dutchman finished more than 20 seconds ahead of Perez, showing that the Red Bull domination is not going away, at least for now. Ferrari, however, remain the team closest to them.
Fred Vasseur on Ferrari’s development throughout the season
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur recently opened up on his team’s development and how they are expecting to catch Red Bull. Vasseur revealed that this year’s biggest improvement has been in their race-pace.
Last year, Ferrari were strong in qualifying, and Charles Leclerc gave Verstappen a run for his money in that department. When it came to race-pace, however, cracks began to appear.
Jock Clear, a senior Ferrari engineer admitted that the SF-24 will see realize its real potential at the Japanese GP with major incoming upgrades. Following this, the Spanish GP in Barcelona will also be another testing ground to check how much ground Leclerc and Co. have made throughout the winter break.
Ferrari will look to catch Red Bull, but will also keep an eye out for the teams behind them. McLaren, Mercedes and Aston Martin are all developing their cars, aiming to do the very thing Ferrari are working hard for.
