F1 News: Ferrari's Imola Upgrades Could Make This a Season to Remember

Alex Harrington | May 6, 2024

May 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc (16) during F1 qualifying / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Coming off an intense battle at the Miami Grand Prix, Ferrari looks poised for a pivotal shift in performance at Imola with significant car upgrades. Charles Leclerc hints that these improvements could be season-defining for the team.

The pressure is mounting in the Formula 1 paddock as teams prepare for the upcoming European races. Among them, Ferrari is at the center of attention with planned upgrades to their SF-24, anticipated to debut at Imola. This update, according to Charles Leclerc, could markedly influence Ferrari's trajectory for the remainder of the season.

“As I’ve said many times, I think the season will be up to upgrades. We have ours coming very soon and that will define a little bit the rest of the season for us.

“So we’ve got to work hard and hopefully those upgrades will be as good as theirs and will help us to do a significant step forward," Leclerc shared before the race in Miami.

The stakes are especially high following Ferrari's mixed results at the Miami Grand Prix. While Leclerc managed a commendable third place, his teammate Carlos Sainz finished just behind him in fourth, later pushed back to fifth after a penalty after a duel with McLaren's Oscar Piastri. The race highlighted both the strengths and limitations of their current setup, with Sainz notably hindered by team strategy, possibly missing out on a higher podium finish.

The upcoming upgrades set out to place the Scuderia in a position where they can, like McLaren after their Miami upgrade package, compete directly with the Milton Keynes outfit. Especially as it's being speculated that the changes could revolve around a sidepod design that is very similar to that of the RB20. It's also highly likely that the floor will undergo large revisions, with this being the main producer of downforce on these current-regulation cars.

With morale being at an all-time high in the upcoming race at the team's home country, historically a good race for the Maranello squad, this is the perfect chance to prove to the rest of the grid that they have the technical know-how to maintain their strong development over the last two years.

If Ferrari is able to develop their car to a point where they can challenge the likes of Red Bull alongside McLaren, this could be a season to remember with three teams in contention for wins. After all, we're only six races into a 24-race season. The championship is yet to be decided.