At Ferrari, everything is now ready for the long-awaited weekend in Imola, where the SF-24 will be equipped with new parts. In the last two GPs, the Maranello team has been overtaken in performance by McLaren. Despite this, the gaps seen in Miami were minimal, as underlined by Frederic Vasseur himself: “Despite not having the updates, we were close to McLaren and Red Bull, and we had a good pace this weekend.”
The MCL38 has taken an important step forward. Now, in Imola, we await the response of Ferrari and their SF-24 upgrades. The new Ferrari, which we have described as a ‘2.0 version’, will respond to McLaren’s Miami updates and Red Bull’s Japan package.
Cardile’s SF-24 2.0 is ready: Ferrari is confident
In Maranello, there has been intense work to prepare the upgrades scheduled for Imola and Fiorano. As we exclusively reported, we will see a first taste of the Ferrari 2.0 in the team’s 200 km filming day. This will make its debut on Friday 10th. At Ferrari, there is optimism about these new components, although Vassuer wants to manage expectations:
“We are at a point in the development of these machines where the updates do not lead to a huge leap in performance”.
The French Team Principal wants to minimise pressure. He is aware that other teams will not stand still.
“It’s true that this year, we are all closer. Gaining even just a few tenths thanks to the changes can make the difference.”
The Maranello technicians have worked for a long time on the package that will debut in Imola. The SF-24 we’ve seen so far has a strong foundation. It is no accident that Ferrari will have a filming day at Fiorano.
Testing the new components on a track where Ferrari has so many reference points will be crucial for data collection. Initially, there was discussion about whether to conduct a filming day in Barcelona. However, in line with the team’s upgrade timeline, the Scuderia will conduct its film day on home soil.
The Ferrari SF-24 of the Miami GP – Illustration Rosario Giuliana
New sidepod and floor entries to unlock 3-tenths: These are the macro-components for load and efficiency
The updated Ferrari is definitively a “new“ car with the modifications made to the SF-24 modifications. The entire package will increase load points and aerodynamic efficiency. Predominantly, this will be achieved through the new inlets in the sidepods and a completely new floor.
There will also be a revised cover equipped with cooling vents more reminiscent of Red Bull. This solution was reached after a search for a different compromise between the undercut and the upper edge of the down-wash sides.
The solution for the Red Bull RB20 inlets on the Ferrari SF-24 – Illustration by Rosario Giuliana
Ferrari’s new cover, therefore, will be an evolution. Even the slides over the sidepods have been revisited. The internal configuration of the radiators will not undergo massive changes. The floor – which to define as new is not an understatement – will carry much of the extra additional burden.
The floor will be revised in its entirety, with solutions that could be defined as “interesting” in relation to the internal drifts of the Venturi entrances.
If everything goes as well as they hope in Maranello, the step should be around 15 overall load-efficiency points. This would mean an improvement of 3 tenths per lap, with the Scuderia expecting even more in race pace.
The so-called “base” version of Cardile’s car was created to offer a wider scope for development, and what we will see at Imola will be a more advanced version of the concepts initially adopted on the SF-24.
“Outline” updates to the wings and cockpit wings
In Miami, McLaren‘s “shopping list” of changes altered the MCL38 from front to back. The new SF-24 will feature a package that is not too dissimilar in terms of modifications to that of the Woking team.
Whilst the sidepod and floor offer plenty of improvement, there will be several minor updates to the rest of Cardile’s car. From what we have learned, Ferrari has preferred not to bring the new front wing overseas.
They are still limited in the parts produced, but at Imola, there will be some changes on both wings. Ferrari’s front wing will have a minor change to the flap. Meanwhile, at the rear, there should be a small addition to the specification used in all 6 races held so far.
The rear wing used by Ferrari in the first six races
Finally, the fins integrated at the base of the Halo and on the sides of the cockpit , which were already a peculiarity of the 2024 red , will be revised. The upper part should not undergo any significant changes.
The team’s focus on bodywork was mainly centred on the medium-low area, with the main objective of seeking aerodynamic efficiency.
