Since the last few races of the previous season, Ferrari has been impressive, and this impression hasn’t diminished even after pre-season testing. This became possible after the Scuderia came up with its 95% overhauled car. The SF-24 is the Italian team’s first full downwash car that has improved a lot in the medium-speed corners. Consequently, Charles Leclerc appears to be the driver who stands to gain the most from its betterment.
According to Formu1a.Uno the SF-24 will better suit Monegasque’s driving style considering his quicker speed than Carlos Sainz. In Bahrain, Leclerc demonstrated that he is capable of returning to his original driving style, favoring longer cornering trajectories over the sharp ones that Sainz often uses.
The pre-season test results showed that the two drivers had different driving styles. Speaking of Leclerc, he used the brakes with less grip upon entry and braked earlier. In addition, the 26-year-old pushed the accelerator halfway through the race simulation to maintain control and improve his exit approach.
The report stated how Leclerc’s tire wear on the rear was lesser than Sainz, due to his style and had “much faster pace than [Carlos] Sainz.”
The Monegasque was able to test the SF-24 with such ease only because the new car felt more suited to both drivers’ driving styles. However, we can’t say the same for the SF-24’s predecessor. The Ferrari CEO, Frederic Vasseur, agrees that the new car is more genuine and predictable than the SF-23.
The new model improved in medium-speed corners and also increased the aerodynamic load without compromising efficiency. Besides the car also has a more robust front end and appears to have a better balance.
Will Ferrari be able to beat Red Bull with their new challenger?
The Maranello team set the fastest time on two of the three testing days, making them the fastest team overall. However, they have achieved this feat on softer tires than those used by Red Bull. The team also ran 416 laps to ensure reliability, and eventually, they were pleased with the outcome Despite these positive outcomes the SF-24 isn’t regarded as the favorite to win the first race of the new season.
This is because while Ferrari has demonstrated the most in the racing simulation, Red Bull has not shown all their cards. On the third day’s afternoon, the Milton Keynes team carried several runs. They used different compounds while using the same fuel. Although, there are chances they may have been running at different fuel levels, so it is unclear how much more pace the RB20 has.
However, Red Bull’s sandbagging efforts didn’t stop there as Verstappen drove all runs carefully on the final day. Consequently, this served Red Bull well to acquire a deeper understanding of tire management.
Nevertheless, with the season quickly approaching, it will become clear whether Ferrari has truly shown everything or if they still have more to offer with their new SF-24.
