As the unveiling of the 2024 Formula 1 challenger draws near, it’s high time to expect news related to the details of the cars starting to come out. And the first hints are coming out of Maranello, Italy. Ferrari’s 2023 challenger, SF-23, was not a bad car by any stretch of the imagination. But it could never quite match the level of the RB-19. The car was often the quickest over a single lap, demonstrated by multiple pole positions secured by both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. However, the team struggled to find a performance window where the car felt at its best. But as the first details of Ferrari’s 2024 car come to light, it looks like they are going the way of the Red Bull.

Ferrari struggled with a poor front end of the SF-23, particularly in the medium and high-speed corners, a problem carried over from 2022. This was mostly due to the in-wash aerodynamic philosophy used for the front wings. Ferrari’s decision to move the nose fairing backward and redesign the flaps to enhance airflow towards the car body for 2023 did address some of the issues of the front-end grip, but it only did so partially. However, according to a recent report from Formu1a.uno, the 2024 design will be quite similar to that of the RB-19.

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will get a taste of RB-19’s design philosophy

Ferrari’s continued pursuit of the in-wash aerodynamic concept for the front wing ultimately proved to be a failure. For 2024, Ferrari plans a significant rework to the front end, drawing inspiration from the RB19’s front wing spec. Haas applied this concept in 2023 with the update at the United States Grand Prix at C.O.T.A. However, we can expect Ferrari to implement this design philosophy in a much more sophisticated way.

The new design aims to successfully implement the outwash design, which was proposed by Adrian Newey and Pierre Wache, something that Mercedes adopted with its updated front wings in the British Grand Prix. The changes include revised mechanics to expand setup options, with major changes in the design of the wing’s triangles and swinging arm. These modifications intend to improve the balance, enhance performance in high-speed corners, and make the car less sensitive under braking.

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Beyond the car’s dynamics, many of the changes in the front end’s design are crucial for aerodynamic efficiency, highlighting the significance of redirecting air to the floor for optimal performance as Red Bull so successfully implemented in 2023. However, as Ferrari faces the challenge of sacrificing some elements to improve others, it is the job of the engineers to maintain the strong braking power of the SF-23.

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The update to the front end of the car is only a small part of the overall changes made to the SF-23. Team boss Fred Vasseur has given hints that the new car will be significantly different.

Fred Vasseur claims the 2024 car will be 95% new

Ferrari was the first team to announce the launch of their new challenger. Team Principal Frederic Vasseur acknowledged the need for improvement and shared insights on the upcoming 2024 car. Highlighting the upcoming changes to the car, Vasseur emphasized the need for a significant change in the philosophy.

According to Autosport, Vasseur mentioned in a media statement in Maranello, “We are changing 95% of the components of the car. Perhaps you can consider that it’s a revolution… It’s a matter of tenths of seconds. It means it’s all 0.1 or 0.2% performance that we are looking for… The most important is to continue to push, to continue to develop, to have the drivers into the middle of the project and they are fully involved in the development.”

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Do you think Ferrari will be close enough to fight for wins consistently in 2024? Share your insights with us in the comments down below.