Frederic Vasseur is feeling positive about Ferrari’s prospects in 2024 following their test of the SF-24 car in Behrain.
Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc (via IMAGO)
Ferrari had a turbulent season in 2023, with the SF-23 car not performing as well in races as it did in qualifying due to excessive tire wear. In order to challenge Red Bull in the upcoming 2024 season, the team had to make significant design changes. They conducted successful tests of the cars during a pre-season event in Bahrain and have reportedly resolved the tire wear issue.
, who achieved the fastest lap time of the day using soft tires, and teammate provided positive feedback on the SF-24 car. They were able to set the fastest lap times during their respective sessions. The team principal of Ferrari, , believes they are moving in the right direction.
Despite some solid performances from Ferrari, they were still outperformed by Red Bull and on the day. Even without running in the optimal RB20 configuration, they set the fastest laps. Verstappen is expected to continue his dominance in 2024 and win the championship. However, Ferrari is hopeful that they can secure a few race wins with the SF-24.
In the C4 session, Sainz and Ferrari surpassed Red Bull’s fastest time from Day 1 by a full second, while trailed behind by seven-tenths in P2. Despite facing competition from the Mercedes W15, managed to secure a place in the top three.
The morning session was filled with drama, but the afternoon session, led by , ran smoothly from 14:00 to 19:00 local time. After a half-hour stint, Leclerc completed his work and handed over the Ferrari SF-24 to teammate Carlos Sainz, ensuring a seamless transition.
Sainz set a new record during the extended session with a time of 1:31.397, resulting in a Ferrari one-two. On a set of C4 tires, his P1 time was improved to 1:29.921. This time was faster than Verstappen’s fastest time on Day 1, indicating that it is too early to declare Verstappen a four-time World Champion.