This weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix is where Ferrari is aiming for their second Grand Prix triumph of the year. The Scuderia will try to take advantage of the few unknowns going into the race.
To begin with, since 2019, drivers have not competed at the Shanghai International Circuit. Therefore, none of them have had the opportunity to address it in cars that are now on the road.
Perhaps more significantly, this weekend will feature a whole new format in response to modifications to the sprint-race schedule. The customary FP2 and FP3 slots will be occupied by the sprint shoot-out and the actual race.
As a result, the teams will only have time for one practice session on Friday morning before the really important sessions begin. Damon Hill believes Carlos Sainz can keep Red Bull from winning another one-two under these conditions.
Max Verstappen’s retirement allowed Sainz to win the season’s sole non-Red Bull race back in Australia. However, Verstappen and Sergio Perez responded forcefully, winning first and second place in their respective races.
Importantly, Ferrari is working on a “massive” improvement package, even though they are still outsiders. They’re going to make some major changes to their SF-24 car at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix the following month.
It is anticipated that these modifications will result in an additional 2.5 tenths of performance. If all goes according to plan, Red Bull’s enduring dominance might finally be challenged.
What Ferrari has stated on claims of Red Bull copying
Composing for it.Journalist Franco Nugnes discussed the likelihood that Ferrari saw Red Bull’s RB20 during winter testing before doing a wind tunnel “evaluation” of the vehicle. If so, did they then choose to use their own modifications to mimic the idea of their competitors?
Adrian Newey, head designer of Red Bull, recently stated that the group has essentially nailed its concept at this point. The Milton Keynes team has triumphed handily in the last two championships, breaking all previous records in 2023.
Figures within the Maranello team headquarters, however, have denied any suggestion of a purposeful copy. Rather, they claim that development on the “B” version of SF-24 started even before they saw the Red Bull.
Additionally, throughout the winter, Ferrari added a number of fresh engineers, some of whom were from the current world champions. If we notice any similarities between the two cars later in the year, that could help to explain them.
Lewis Hamilton is anticipating the Ferrari move.
Apart from pursuing Red Bull this year, Ferrari is also preparing for the arrival of Lewis Hamilton in early 2025. Back in the winter, the Scuderia disclosed what was likely the biggest driver change in Formula One history.
They will benefit from any development they make this year in comprehending the current generation of automobiles for the upcoming season. In fact, the next significant reset of the regulations won’t occur until 2026.
With only 10 points from the first four races, Hamilton is currently having a really bad time at Mercedes. Karun Chandhok, though, believes that Ferrari’s progress is comforting him.
The seven-time world champion previously expressed his excitement about acclimating to a new setting with the Italian powerhouses. Above all, he hopes they can bring home his eighth world championship.
Five-time race winner Charles Leclerc and Hamilton will form a formidable combo, and Fred Vasseur believes this will bring out the best in the Monegasque. Leclerc acknowledges that so far this year, he has not been as successful as colleague Sainz.