Ferrari SF-24: Maranello’s New F1 Racer Breaks Cover
Could the Ferrari SF-24 be The One?
Ferrari pulled the covers of its new Formula 1 race car, the unsurprisingly red SF-24. Its mission is to accomplish what more than a dozen of its predecessors couldn't: Bring the Formula 1 Constructors' Championship back to Maranello. Heck, at this point team boss Fred Vasseur would probably be happy with a driver's title for Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz, even if that doesn't earn his team any prize money.
The SF-24 might, somehow, enjoy an even bigger spotlight than usual. With seven-time F1 champ Lewis Hamilton now confirmed to join Ferrari in 2025, all eyes will be on the scarlet red cars throughout the season. Hamilton will be on the lookout for any performance improvements that may reassure him of his decision, Mercedes will be hoping Ferrari's runner-up pace doesn't continue this year, and pundits will be hungry to amplify any of the above to spice F1 coverage up.
A Scuderia F1 car will always be red, but this year's livery features enough secondary colors to differentiate it from previous models. Two stripes run along the side of the car, one yellow and one white, starting at the sidepods and culminating at the back of the engine cover. This also takes place on top of the rear wing. Lastly, the driver numbers, 16 and 55, are also finished in the same colors and style. The color black dominated a fair share of last year's car, but thankfully that's changed for 2024. The new car is much brighter and livelier.
“Presenting a new car to the world for the first time is always a very exciting moment for me and the drivers, even if we are all already thinking about the moment we will go head to head with our rivals on track," Vasseur said during the launch.
“This year, we must start off where we left off at the end of last season, when we were consistent front runners, with a view to constantly improving in all areas. The longest-ever Formula 1 season awaits us and Charles, Carlos and I all agree, we must be more clinical and effective in how we manage the races, making bold choices, in order to get the best possible result at every Grand Prix," he added.
“It’s often said that your fans can give you an extra gear and that will definitely be true in what will be a very closely contested championship and we are proud to know we can count on our ‘tifosi’ from around the world.”
The SF-24 made a brief appearance at the automaker's home track of Fiorano in Maranello, though it was only for media capturing and not actual testing. The first pre-season test is just one week away and will take place in Bahrain.
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