Ferrari have had a much-improved start to the 2024 season compared to last year. They seem to have improved in all areas, especially their strategies and pitstop timings. It was just a couple of weeks ago when Ferr delivered a record pitstop timing of 1.94 seconds. Veteran F1 photographer Kym Illman has now revealed that the Italian outfit practiced a staggering 1,800 pitstops to perfect the art.
While speaking on his official YouTube channel, Illman said, “Last year with races and practices, they did some 1,800 pitstops”. Ferrari will now hope to continue their strong run this weekend in Imola as they gear up to compete in the first of two races in front of their home fans.
While being efficient at performing pitstops is undoubtedly vital in F1 to have the edge over other teams, perhaps the most important key to success in the sport is the pace of the car. Last season, Ferrari started the season as arguably the fourth-fastest team, with the likes of Red Bull, Aston Martin, and Mercedes ahead of them.
However, this year, the Scuderia seem to be the second-fastest team on the current grid. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have proven the same as at least one of them have finished on the podium in five of the six races this season. Moreover, Sainz is also the only non-Red Bull driver who has won two races since the start of the 2023 season.
Ferrari could produce another surprise in Imola this year
After having won the Singapore Grand Prix last season and the Australian GP this year, Ferrari will hope to win another race this weekend in Imola. With the Prancing Horse set to bring upgrades to this weekend’s race, they will hope to have enough pace to challenge the likes of Red Bull and McLaren for the victory.
Fred Vasseur did not reveal what kind of upgrades Ferrari will bring to the Imola GP this weekend, but he did warn Red Bull of the improvement they are likely to have as a result of them. “It’s an opportunity for us because if we are doing another small step, I think that we will be really in a position to fight with them every single weekend,” said Vasseur.
The preparations for Ferrari ahead of their home race this weekend did not end just there. They also planned a private test in Fiorano to test their new upgrades. If the upgrades do indeed end up working for the Italian outfit, the Tifosi could be in for a treat at Imola this weekend.
