F1 Bahrain Pre-season Test Day 2: Leclerc and Sainz Share their Views on Ferrari SF-24

Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, both drivers for Ferrari, have shared their first thoughts on the exciting new Formula 1 season that will begin in 2024. Sainz took first place, and the Italian squad finished the morning session first overall. In addition, Ferrari demonstrated two days of strong performance. Importantly, Sainz's remarkable 1:29.921 time on day 2 in the C4 compound indicates potential progress. The fuel loads are still a mystery, but the SF-24 shows clear progress, which is good news for Ferrari.

The team's confidence is bolstered by a three-stin race-simulation matchup between Sainz and Perez, in which the Ferrari driver continually demonstrated superior pace. The usual considerations of similar fuel weights and engine settings must be taken into account, especially as Max Verstappen showed a 0.3s lead over Perez last year.

While testing the Ferrari in the windy Sakhir circuit, Sainz made a point of noting that it was less sensitive to the wind than its predecessor. This new information is encouraging since it shows that the team has accomplished one of the main goals of the car's design.

F1: Ferrari SF-24

It is immediately clear that the Red Bull RB19 from the previous year served as an inspiration when one examines the SF-24 decked out in its vivid red paint, which features bright yellow and white stripes and minimum visible carbon fibre. A lot of macro-details have been added so it can mimic the airflow patterns that the Anglo-Austrian model does so well. But it's not fair to say Ferrari is just trying to mimic Red Bull. There are solid proofs that suggest they are intentionally sticking with the same design decisions that worked for the SF-23 last year.

If these already-established design ideas are further refined with more consistent aerodynamic performance, the obvious question is whether Ferrari can carry over their impressive qualifying performance into a dominant performance in the race. This is still the major goal. But this dream will only come true if Ferrari's aero-focused projects are a smashing success. Also, their choice of rear suspension shouldn't have contributed to last season's poor rear-end aero performance. Because of its well-known aerodynamic benefits, pushrod suspension is preferred by competing teams.

With team boss Fred Vasseur entering his second year at the helm, 2023 saw the start of some major shifts at Maranello, which bode well for the future of the team.