Frederic Vasseur is optimistic about Ferrari’s prospects in 2024 after testing the SF-24 car in Bahrain. Ferrari had a turbulent season in 2023, with the SF-23 car not performing as well in races as in qualifying due to excessive tire wear. To challenge Red Bull in the upcoming 2024 season, the team had to make significant design changes. They conducted successful tests of the cars during a pre-season event in Bahrain and reportedly solved the tire wear problem. Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, who achieved the fastest lap time of the day using soft tires, and teammate Carlos Sainz provided positive feedback on the SF-24 car. They were able to set the fastest lap times during their respective sessions. Ferrari team director Frederic Vasseur believes they are moving in the right direction.
Despite some solid performances from Ferrari, they were outperformed by Red Bull and Mercedes on the day. Even without running in the ideal RB20 configuration, they set the fastest laps. Verstappen is expected to continue his domination in 2024 and win the championship. However, Ferrari hopes to achieve some victories with the SF-24.
In the C4 session, Sainz and Ferrari surpassed Red Bull’s fastest time from Day 1 by a full second, while Leclerc was seven tenths behind in P2. Despite competition from the Mercedes W15, Ferrari managed to secure a place in the top three.
The morning session was full of drama, but the afternoon session, led by Vasseur, ran smoothly from 14:00 to 19:00 local time. After a half-hour period, Leclerc completed his work and handed over the Ferrari SF-24 to teammate Carlos Sainz, ensuring a smooth transition.
Sainz set a new record during the extended session with a time of 1:31.397, resulting in a Ferrari one-two finish. With a set of C4 tires, his P1 time was improved to 1:29.921. This time was faster than Verstappen’s fastest time on Day 1, indicating that it is still too early to declare Verstappen a four-time world champion.
