Scuderia Ferrari waited for a weekend without anomalous formats to bring the developments on the SF-24 to the track. The fans are already dreaming.
The Reds, after Sainz’s victory in Australia, let their lead be eaten away by McLaren. The Modenese Scuderia appeared firmly in second place in the ranking behind the unreachable Honda-powered RB, however the English gained a clean 4 tenths, managing with Lando Norris to stand out in Miami.
Of the 6 races held so far, Max Verstappen has won 4 of them. Compared to last year there is a slight decline in the team based in Milton Keynes. In 2023, in fact, the only high score from another team came at the hands of Sainz at the end of the season in Singapore. In 2024 the margin for the 3-time Dutch world champion is less wide than in the past. At Ferrari they are starting to believe that RB’s epic is about to reach the final credits, even more so after Adrian Newey’s farewell in less than 1 year.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will have 200 km (100 km each) available on filming day to close the gap. It will be an opportunity to get a taste of the developments of the SF-24. In Maranello they were patient and waited for the right moment to test an important package of developments. RB will not sit idly by. More updates are coming to the RB20 and Imola will represent an important challenge for the values of the championship.
The news from Cavallino
After Leclerc’s third place in Miami, tp Vasseur announced to Sky Sport: “Two of our opponents brought new things this weekend and I don’t think they revolutionized the hierarchies. We’re at a point in the development of these machines where updates don’t make for a huge leap”. In essence, the French coach calmed things down. In reality, Imola will be a fundamental round for the future of Ferrari, which up to now has been the second force, but is now surpassed in terms of performance by McLaren.
In addition to having the support of the home fans, Sainz and Leclerc will benefit from the first package of developments which will substantially modify the SF-24. From the data collected on the simulator there would be a decisive step forward. At Fiorano the work, managed in collaboration between the FIA, Ferrari and Pirelli, showed off the Reds with strange baskets covering the tire area.
The Red team struggled to “turn on” the tires in this first part of the championship in some rounds. The most important solutions could guarantee a step forward in the optimal management of compounds. We will know more in the first free practice sessions in Imola.
