The Ferrari SF-24 Is Ready For the 2024 F1 Season

With the 2024 F1 calendar set to kick off in Bahrain at the end of the month, fans are finally getting a look at the upcoming open-wheeled racers. Ferrari pulled the cover off of its 2024 car known as the SF-24 during an online-only press event in Maranello on Tuesday.

The SF-24 features one of the better-looking liveries to arrive for 2024 thus far, with a bit more emphasis on details aimed at breaking up that expansive engine cover. The yellow and white stripes are a nice nod to the Ferrari banner and help keep the car from looking like a solid red machine. You'll also notice a much simpler sidepod layout than the 2023 car, complete with a larger undercut section. Additionally, there's some exposed carbon behind the pods, bringing a bit of sports car flair to the open-wheeler. Also, those red wheel centers are pretty darn cool.

Returning drivers Carlos Sainz Jr and Charles Leclerc will helm the Scuderia Ferrari effort for 2024, hoping to improve upon the pair’s underwhelming results in 2023. Despite putting up some seriously quick performances during qualifying throughout the season, Ferrari struggled to see that pace translate to race-day success. The team only managed to take home a single win in 2023, with Sainz putting on a bit of a show during the Singapore Grand Prix. Disappointing as a single-win season might be, that ended up being the only race of the season that didn’t end with a Red Bull victory. Ferrari ultimately finished third in the Constructors’ Championship, falling behind the familiar leaders in Red Bull and Mercedes. Ferrari has put a ton of effort into balancing out the aerodynamic woes that kept them from more podiums last year, though we’ll have to wait for the results to be seen.

This year marks Leclerc's sixth season with Scuderia Ferrari, whereas Sainz is entering his fourth and final run with the automaker. Earlier this month it was announced that Lewis Hamilton will be joining Ferrari for the 2025 season, part of CEO John Elkann and team principal Fred Vasseur’s plans to give the Tifosi a successful year. The SF-24 will serve as a great test bed for the brand as it seeks to prepare for the seven-time world champion. A good showing from this year’s machine could spell trouble for the rest of the grid, but Red Bull isn’t going to go away easily. We'll get our first taste of the SF-24 during the Bahrain Grand Prix from February 29 through March 2.

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