Ferrari has become the latest team to showcase its challenger for the 2024 Formula 1 season with the reveal of the SF-24.
The Italian marque has opted to dispense with the black which had been featured on both its car, race suits and merchandise across the previous two seasons.
Instead, Ferrari has accompanied its prestigious Rosso Corsa red with white and yellow this term, which was teased earlier in the week on the drivers’ race overalls.
Those two colours run as lines through the car, resembling the accents seen on the 499P Hypercar that Ferrari won the Le Mans 24 Hours with on its return in 2023.
Having been a race-winning outfit upon F1’s switch back to ground effect aero in 2022, Ferrari had entered last season bidding to mount a sustained title challenge.
However, the side’s 2023 creation, an evolution of the previous year’s F1-75, proved to be an unpredictable machine that was prone to volatile performance swings.
While Ferrari rebounded with a revised car concept to score the sole non-Red Bull win of the season, the team continued to be hindered by troubles over a race distance.
Ferrari’s two drivers logged a combined seven pole positions, but Carlos Sainz’s Singapore success was the only time he or Charles Leclerc converted that advantage.
Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur, who replaced Mattia Binotto at the helm at the end of 2022, revealed that “95 per cent of the components” have been changed for 2024.
Leclerc and Sainz will form Ferrari’s driver pairing for the fourth consecutive season, but it has been announced the Spaniard will depart at the conclusion of this year.
“Presenting a new car to the world for the first time is always a very exciting moment for me and the drivers, even if we are all already thinking about the moment we will go head to head with our rivals on track,” Vasseur said.
“This year, we must start off where we left off at the end of last season, when we were consistent front runners, with a view to constantly improving in all areas.
“The longest-ever Formula 1 season awaits us and Charles, Carlos and I all agree, we must be more cinical and effective in how we manage the races, making bold choices, in order to get the best possible result at every Grand Prix.
“It’s often said that your fans can give you an extra gear and that will definitely be true in what will be a very closely contested championship and we are proud to know we can count on our “tifosi” from around the world.”
Leclerc has been aligned with Ferrari since being signed to its Driver Academy in 2016 and was promoted to its race team following his rookie F1 season in 2018.
The Monegasque racer has achieved five wins to date in the top flight and has penned a long-term contract extension to remain with the Scuderia beyond 2024.
However, Sainz will leave the team once this campaign is concluded following Ferrari’s decision to sign seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton from next season.
Sainz has achieved two wins – including that Singapore success – since making the switch from McLaren to replace four-time champion Sebastian Vettel in 2021.
“I like the look of the car a lot, including the white and yellow parts on the bodywork,” Leclerc expressed. “But of course, what really interests me is how it will perform on track, as that’s all that matters.
“The SF-24 ought to be less sensitive and easier to drive and for us drivers that’s what you need in order to do well.
“I expect the car to be a step forward in several areas and from the impression I formed in the simulator I think we’re where we want to be.
“This season the aim is to be front runners all the time and I want to give our fans plenty to cheer about, by dedicating race wins to them.”
Sainz added: “When I saw the SF-24 for the first time, I couldn’t wait to jump in and fire it up. Now, I’m looking forward to driving it on track to see if it correlates with the feeling I had from the simulator, which is that it’s the step forward we all want.
“The aim is to have a car that’s more driveable and therefore able to run at a consistent race pace, as these are the basic requirements to fight for wins.
“We drivers have done our very best to give the engineers precise feedback and I’m sure the workforce in Maranello will have listened to our needs. We want to give the fans something to cheer about, as they were so supportive last year, even when things weren’t going our way.”
Former Alfa Romeo F1 driver and Le Mans winner Antonio Giovinazzi will share reserve driver duties for Ferrari with Robert Shwartzman once again this season.
Furthermore, Ferrari prospect Oliver Bearman, who is embarking upon his sophomore Formula 2 season in 2024, will serve as one of the team’s reserve options.
The Briton, 18, was also announced as Haas’ reserve driver, where he will participate in six FP1 sessions across this season – including at the British Grand Prix.
