Ferrari launches 2024 F1 challenger - the SF-24

The new car signifies the Italian squad's aim to revive its championship ambitions after a difficult 2023 campaign.

A Response to 2023 Shortcomings

While fast in qualifying, Ferrari's 2023 car lacked consistent race pace compared to the dominant Red Bulls.

The peaky aerodynamic traits proved extremely difficult to manage during Grands Prix leading to just one victory all season.

Ferrari hopes the SF-24 developments will deliver a smoother performance profile to allow fighting at the front.

"The developments made to the SF-24 should help reduce the peaky aero behavior that overshadowed our 2023 efforts," said Team Principal Fred Vasseur.

"We know delivering a title challenger will be difficult, but remain enthusiastic about the progress made."

Beginning of the Hamilton era

The launch comes amid a feeling of reinvigoration in Maranello following the high-profile signing of 7-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton for 2025, dubbed 'Operation Relaunch'.

Ferrari CEO John Elkann has turned his attention to F1, joining mechanics on the SF-24's final preparations signaling the importance of returning to the front.

"Seeing Mr. Elkann with the mechanics proves F1 is a priority again. With Lewis also coming, the team feels re-energized to fight back," said race driver Charles Leclerc.

Technical details & approach

While the full technical details remain undisclosed, Ferrari revealed work on refining the sidepod layouts and floor geometry to increase stability.

Updates to the suspension aim to alleviate mechanical inconsistencies that plagued last year's contender.

Ferrari has also restructured its technical department with around 20 new hires from key rivals expected.

"We cannot share the full extent of changes yet but have focused efforts on creating a smoother aero platform," Head of Vehicle Engineering Enrico Cardile explained.

"Reliability is also a major objective. We aim to give drivers confidence to extract maximum pace throughout races."