Enrico Cardile, the Technical Director of Ferrari, claims that the team took a distinct approach to developing their car for the upcoming Formula 1 season. Red Bull’s Team Principal, Christian Horner, had predicted that multiple cars this year would resemble their title-winning RB19 from last season. Ferrari, along with other teams, abandoned their troubled concept and adopted Red Bull’s downwash solution halfway through the previous season. While Ferrari retained the inwash ‘bathtub’ sidepods from their previous race-winning car, the F1-75, their 2023 creation proved to be unpredictable. Despite securing the only non-Red Bull win of the year and consistently contending for pole positions, Ferrari decided to undergo a “complete revamp” with the SF-24. Cardile, however, denies that their latest car was inspired by Red Bull, emphasizing that their work aimed to address their own limitations.
Cardile admits that changing their concept for the third year of the latest ground effect regulations has put Ferrari at a disadvantage compared to Red Bull, who have shown dedication to aggressive innovations for 2024. When asked about the impact of being two years behind Red Bull in terms of development, Cardile acknowledges that it is challenging to determine the extent of the disadvantage. He states that while it is not advantageous to change direction or development, Ferrari has been developing in their chosen direction for a year now. Only when they start competing with other teams will they be able to assess the gap they have in both directions.
Cardile also reveals that Ferrari has made revisions to their various rear wing configurations in an attempt to counter Red Bull’s advantage when using their DRS flap. When questioned about the focus on DRS in Ferrari’s winter work, Cardile confirms that it has been a priority. He explains that part of the car’s development involved completely overhauling the rear wing, and they have presented the car with a new mid-downforce rear wing. They have also made corresponding changes to the entire range of rear wings.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz recently conducted a shakedown of the SF-24 at Ferrari’s Fiorano test track. This was in preparation for three days of pre-season testing, scheduled to begin on 21 February in Bahrain.
According to a source, Ferrari has taken a unique approach to developing their car for the upcoming Formula 1 season. Red Bull’s Team Principal, Christian Horner, had predicted that multiple cars this year would resemble their title-winning RB19 from last season. Ferrari, along with other teams, abandoned their troubled concept and adopted Red Bull’s downwash solution halfway through the previous season. While Ferrari retained the inwash ‘bathtub’ sidepods from their previous race-winning car, the F1-75, their 2023 creation proved to be unpredictable. Despite securing the only non-Red Bull win of the year and consistently contending for pole positions, Ferrari decided to undergo a “complete revamp” with the SF-24. Ferrari denies that their latest car was inspired by Red Bull, emphasizing that their work aimed to address their own limitations.
Ferrari acknowledges that changing their concept for the third year of the latest ground effect regulations has put them at a disadvantage compared to Red Bull, who have shown commitment to aggressive innovations for 2024. When asked about the impact of being two years behind Red Bull in terms of development, Ferrari states that it is difficult to determine the extent of the handicap. Ferrari has been developing in their chosen direction for a year now and will only be able to assess the gap they have in both directions when they start competing with other teams.
Ferrari has made revisions to their various rear wing configurations in an attempt to counter Red Bull’s advantage when using their DRS flap. Ferrari confirms that the focus on DRS in their winter work has been a priority. Part of the car’s development involved completely revamping the rear wing, and Ferrari has presented the car with a new mid-downforce rear wing. They have also made corresponding changes to the entire range of rear wings.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz recently conducted a shakedown of the SF-24 at Ferrari’s Fiorano test track. This was in preparation for three days of pre-season testing, scheduled to begin on 21 February in Bahrain.
According to motorsportweek.com
