In Maranello we think with a view to 2024: the Ferrari 676 will not be an evolution of the SF-23. But recovering Red Bull is unthinkable
Caution.
This is the watchword with which we start again in Maranello, in view of 2024: no forecasts or newspaper headlines, just a lot of under-the-track work. Be wary of those who, in the coming months, will make predictions about the cars of 2024: Red Bull starts two steps ahead of all, and its rivals know this better than anyone else.
What does a Ferrari worker say?
In this regard, GPKingdom interviewed a Scuderia Ferrari engineer (anonymously), asking him what his mood was for next season. And these are words that will not excite the fans of the Red: “2024? The expectations are the same as this season. The real goal is 2026, we have already started developing some pieces: the wheelbases will change, the dimensions of the power unit will be more small and some components will be removed.”
“Until 2026 there will be aerodynamic improvements and evolutions to the suspension group, but reaching Red Bull at the moment seems unthinkable.
Let’s not expect a different script in 2024: the freezing of some components makes it even more impossible to recover a team so far ahead of everyone else, both in terms of car and team harmony. This year many things have changed between Binotto’s farewell and the arrival of Vasseur, many team members have changed and others will arrive between 2024 and 2025.
Will there be another two years of Red Bull dominance? Almost certainly yes, we too struggle to understand how they can be so strong. For this, the primary goal now remains 2026,” he concluded.
No stopping updates
However, it is good to clarify two points about next season.
The first: the motto of Vasseur and company is not “we’ll try again next year”, but rather “we understand what went wrong”. An understandable philosophy: interrupting the updates of such a fluctuating and incomprehensible car means risking making the same mistakes again in 2024. And while Mercedes has decided to abandon the W14, Scuderia Ferrari should look for solutions for 2023 up to Austin, a very dynamic track between long straights, curves and ups and downs.
It will not be an evolution of the SF-23
The second – no “SF-23 EVO”. The order given by the top floors of the Red Army is simple: clean sheet and start again. Erasing what went wrong, keeping the merits of such a complicated car and trying to improve the solutions already brought by other teams, where the model is always Red Bull.
Let’s forget hollow bellies: pen and paper in the hands of Diego Tondi, aerodynamics chief, and Fabio Montecchi, Head of Vehicle Concept (David Sanchez’s replacement), while for the 066/7 power unit the material is in the hands of Enrico Gualtieri, head of the engine department. The goal is to build an extreme, competitive and reliable car: an easy task in words but extremely difficult in practice, above all given the clear advantage that Red Bull has at the moment.
Let’s not expect, therefore (barring sensational reversals), a different dominance from that of Red Bull in 2024: Max Verstappen’s cycle does not seem to be over, nor does that of the Austrian team.
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari
Written by: Zambro – GPK
