The most successful team in the sport, and the only team to have participated in every world championship since 1950, fell to third place overall last year, trailing behind Mercedes and dominant champions Red Bull.
Monaco’s Leclerc stated that the SF-24, which the team described as a departure from the previous two years, should be less sensitive and easier to handle compared to last year’s challenging and disappointing car.
“I anticipate that the car will be an improvement in various aspects, and based on my experience in the simulator, I believe we are in a favorable position,” he added after the car was revealed online and physically launched at the Fiorano test track.
“This season, our goal is to consistently be at the front of the pack, and I aim to provide our fans with plenty of reasons to celebrate,” he further emphasized.
Leclerc will once again be partnered with Spaniard Sainz, who is in his final year at Maranello before making way for Mercedes’ seven-time F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton in 2025.
Sainz was the only driver last season to defeat Red Bull, securing a victory in Singapore and preventing the champions from achieving a clean sweep of all 22 races.
This season will feature a record 24 races, with China returning after the pandemic and Italy’s Imola making a comeback after being cancelled due to flooding last year.
“I have witnessed a completely different appearance, both in terms of the shape and design, and it excites me. I simply cannot wait to drive it,” expressed Sainz.
The SF-24 is the first car fully developed under the leadership of team boss Fred Vasseur, who took over from Mattia Binotto in January 2023. Vasseur emphasized the need to build upon the team’s strong finish from the previous season.
“We also need to address the weaknesses of 2023 and be more opportunistic in terms of scoring points. This will be our primary focus,” he added.
Ferrari concluded last season with Leclerc finishing as the runner-up to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi, but still trailing by 17.8 seconds. Verstappen’s team had long abandoned the development of their car.
Enrico Cardile, the technical director for chassis, stated that every aspect of the Ferrari has been redesigned. “We have taken into account the feedback from the drivers and transformed their ideas into engineering reality, aiming to provide them with a car that is easier to handle and extract its maximum potential,” he explained.
The predominantly red car, the 70th built by Ferrari for F1 competition, now incorporates yellow longitudinal stripes for the first time since 1968, along with some white elements. The season will commence in Bahrain on March 2. (Reported by Alan Baldwin)
According to the Source grandprix247.com