With the 2024 Bahrain GP weekend mere hours away, the anticipation of the season opener is higher than ever. The pre-season testing added to shaping the expectations of the fans, with Ferrari putting in commendable performances. Given the same, Formu1a.uno reports the latest Ferrari car is only the baseline of the team’s project for 2024. Hence, the hope for the Italian team is to go nowhere but up when compared to 2023.
Known within the team as Project 676, the SF-24 has only one objective – to abolish the limitations of the SF-23. The first season under Fred Vasseur saw Ferrari consistently improve but fall just short of securing P2 in the constructors’ championship. This year, the team is hopeful of accomplishing the target.
Vasseur wanted his team to keep a low profile during the winter break, which they did. Once testing began in Bahrain, the SF-24 showed positive results in terms of reliability, speed, and design. Moreover, the car is seemingly ‘version 1.0’ of the latest model, serving as the baseline for the developments and upgrades for the rest of the season.
Charles Leclerc returned positive feedback on the car once he got the chance to drive it in person. Comparing it to last year’s car, Leclerc felt the SF-24 was certainly an upgrade. It reacts well to the driver’s actions, and “sensations are certainly better than a year ago.” However, Leclerc remains wary of the competitiveness of their car as it is too soon to say anything.
Ferrari is hot on the heels of Red Bull
With the SF-24 running the way they want, Ferrari hopes to cut down on the gap to Red Bull significantly. Last year, the Prancing Horse had a faster one-lap pace as opposed to the Clashing Bulls. However, when it came to race pace, the Bulls had the advantage.
Based on their learnings back in Maranello, Ferrari hopes they can be closer to Red Bull in the race. The Italian outfit feels an increased competitiveness within their car and hopes to mount pressure on their Austrian rivals. However, overtaking them remains a challenge, given the technical advantage carried by the RB20.
Frederic Vasseur expects “various top teams will be very close to each other” in 2024. While the SF-24 will feature significant upgrades, the likes of Red Bull, McLaren, and Mercedes will also field stronger cars than in 2023.
Vasseur feels they need to exercise caution in judging the potential of the W15 as well. Meanwhile, former racer David Coulthard believes Ferrari would be a significant rival to Red Bull if they improve on their car from 2023, which was a strong 1-lap car.
