F1 Rumour: Ferrari to Introduce Huge Upgrade At Imola After Early Season Success
After Ferrari started off the 2024 season with the revamped SF-24 F1 car that is closest to Red Bull's RB20 on the Formula 1 grid, a report from formu1a.uno suggests that the Red team is working on an "extreme" version of its title contender to elevate its P3 Grands Prix finishes to the level where it can compete with Max Verstappen's car.
Key Takeaways:
- Ferrari is developing an "extreme" version of its SF-24 F1 car to close the gap to Red Bull's RB20, aiming for podium contention.
- Confident in their progress, Ferrari plans minor upgrades in April and a significant upgrade at Imola to enhance performance.
- The SF-24 will adopt an assertive cooling strategy, similar to Red Bull's RB19 design, to optimize aerodynamics and improve competitiveness.
Ferrari Press Image
The SF-24 shows significant advancement over its predecessor, the SF-23, yet it still trails Max Verstappen's pace. Carlos Sainz's performance revealed a 0.4-second improvement compared to Red Bull a season ago, a figure confirmed by Verstappen's past races. Charles Leclerc's podium in Jeddah further underscores this difference.
With a compression of the gap and a newfound trust in their cooling, Ferrari is confident it can now build further on the strong platform it created on the 2024 car during the winter break. Despite Red Bull having upped its ante this season, it would be safe to conclude that the Maranello outfit is now aware of the direction it must take to contend with the race leader.
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Ferrari team principal revealed after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that new parts have already arrived for the SF-24. With minor upgrades scheduled for April this year, a huge upgrade is expected to be unveiled at Imola this year. The report stated:
"In fact, there is already an “EVO version” of the SF-24 in the wind tunnel, more advanced than the current 1.0 version’s concept.
"Some minor upgrades are expected for April. Meanwhile, the new team’s aerodynamic look will arrive in May. Unless the updates arrive earlier or later, they should be introduced in Imola.
"This new look in Imola will feature new sidepods and a new floor. These evolutionary steps and interventions are aimed at building upon the good base obtained in winter.
"The primary objective of this SF-24 has been largely achieved since the car is able to operate with a higher load.
In addition, Ferrari can now pursue an assertive cooling strategy based on wind tunnel findings. Specifically, the SF-24 will emulate the design of Red Bull's 2023 RB19, featuring slimmer radiator openings to favor the undercut concept. This will entail larger openings and aggressive inlets, marking some of the initial upgrades planned for the Ferrari SF-24.