Next weekend will be a crucial event for the 2024 Formula 1 world championship, especially for Ferrari. On one hand, it will indicate whether McLaren can realistically challenge Red Bull with their upgrades. For the Milton Keynes team, however, upgrades will also arrive in response to the progress of rivals. Above all, it will be a decisive appointment for the future of Ferrari.
Up until now, Ferrari has been the second-fastest team. At least, this was the case prior to Miami. Still, Ferrari has always indicated Imola as the stage for the first package of developments to substantially modify the SF-24.
FERRARI TAKES TO THE TRACK: 200KM IN FIORANO WITH THE SF-24 BEFORE IMOLA
One of the most difficult things to achieve with these ground effect cars is the correlation between the virtual world (wind tunnel, CFD and simulator) and the real one (the track).
Even today, Mercedes often stumbles in the dark due to this data disparity. Furthermore, some high-profile technicians – such as Andrea Stella of McLaren and Ayao Komatsu of Haas – have discussed the discrepancies between the simulator data and the track. Sometimes, the difference is negative, but it can also be positive, as happened with the VF-24.
In Woking, they were expecting an important step forward with the updated MCL38. However, on-track confirmation is needed to validate data from the factory. Only after a weekend of running did McLaren confirm a 4-tenths jump, establishing a good baseline set-up. And this is also happening within the walls of Maranello, where there is a lot of anticipation for the evolution of the SF-24 which has now been studied and programmed for some time in the ‘virtual world’.
The Red Bull RB20 inlet solution on the Ferrari SF-24 – Illustration by Rosario Giuliana
Production of parts has begun, although there was never any real intention to accelerate Ferrari’s upgrades in Miami. In Imola, a traditional weekend will give Ferrari more free practice sessions to optimise the car.
However, these sessions will not be the first time Ferrari will evaluate their upgrades! When a large development package is introduced, Ferrari will hold a filming day at its home track if possible. It had already happened in 2023 with the SF-23 when, before Austria, the new front wing and the new bottom were tested in Fiorano. This was an explicit request from the technical director, who wanted to confirm the simulation data on the track.
Once again, Frederic Vasseur and Enrico Cardile have planned a day of testing to bring the SF-24 ‘2.0’ version to the track. On Thursday and Friday, in Fiorano, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will drive the SF-24 for 100km each. This year’s car has shown good pace, but has reached its ‘peak’ performance. Following months of work at Maranello, it now needs upgrades to extract its potential.
Therefore, Sainz and Ferrari will be able to gather the first indications on the news that will have to say what Ferrari’s future will be. At least for this season, these upgrades will define whether a fight with Red Bull (and McLaren) is possible in 2024.
