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Ferrari to Run Its New Upgrades in Private Track a Week Before Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

Anirban Aly Mandal
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Ferrari to Run Its New Upgrades in Private Track a Week Before Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

Ferrari is set to bring their first upgrade package of the 2024 season at the Emilia Romagna GP (17-19 May). However, before the Italian outfit debuts the revamped SF-24, they will head for a private test at their personal track in Fiorano.

According to F1 journalist Piergiuseppe Donadoni (sourced from X),

“Ferrari will lap at Fiorano with the SF-24 2.0 between Thursday 9th and Friday 10th. Similar to pre-Austria 23, the important package of upgrades that the Maranello team will officially bring to the track in Imola, will debut.”

Ferrari is set to bring substantial upgrades to their 2024 challenger. Hence, the team would want to test its efficacy and reliability behind closed doors before debuting it for competitive running from Imola onwards.

The Emilia Romagna GP is one of the most important races on the calendar for Ferrari. Keeping the battle in the Championship aside, the race in Imola is their home Grand Prix (along with the Italian GP in Monza). Hence, the Maranello-based outfit will be looking to put in a strong performance in front of the Tifosi.

There is added pressure on Ferrari as well. McLaren brought their first upgrade package at Miami last weekend and it worked wonders. Lando Norris secured the first Grand Prix win of his career and Ferrari will be hoping for a similar level of performance with their upgrades on 19 May.

Ferrari look to replicate McLaren’s Miami GP success at Imola

According to the disclosures made to the FIA, McLaren had brought 10 upgrades to the Miami GP. These included a fully reworked front and rear suspension along with other revised aerodynamic and performance related upgrades.

The car, during the Grand Prix on Sunday, looked pound-for-pound, the fastest on the grid. A testament to this being the fact that after taking advantage of the Safety Car, Norris pipped Max Verstappen for the lead. And he won the race finishing 7.6 seconds ahead of the Dutchman.

Ferrari will also be looking to make the most of their upgrades. Their aim would be to slash the performance gap to McLaren and Red Bull. However, in reality, the team will also be eyeing a win at Imola. Or at the very least, register a double-podium finish.

The front-end of the field keeps getting closer in terms of performance, six races into the 2024 season. McLaren pulled the trigger on its development and Ferrari is set to potentially follow suit.

With Red Bull still the strongest on paper, an exciting and competitive battle between the three is on the cards.

Post Edited By:Somin Bhattacharjee

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal

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Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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