Does he have to fear for his dominance? Ferrari has caught up with Red Bull and world champion Max Verstappen. Image: EPA
Ferrari used the winter to decipher the secret of the almost overwhelming competitor Red Bull. It became clear: the secret isn’t just a superior car.
This is a different Ferrari feeling than last year. At every step, the viewer has the impression that this team knows what they are doing. Ferrari is continuing what was already announced in the second half of the 2023 season. It wasn’t empty words when the engineers and drivers admitted after an experiment in Zandvoort that a light had dawned on them. The product that was created over the winter represents this understanding.
The Ferrari SF-24 can do everything its predecessor couldn’t. It is aerodynamically stable, predictable and cuts a fine figure in both fast and slow corners. Certain track layouts or the wrong asphalt condition, a strong gust of wind or high temperatures no longer throw the red cars off track. This has a positive effect on tire wear during the race. “We are the team that has improved the most compared to last year,” says Charles Leclerc, referring to the first three Grands Prix of the year and the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday (7 a.m. CEST in the FAZ live ticker for Formula 1 and at Sky) in Suzuka.