Charles Leclerc sets out ‘all that matters’ as Ferrari SF-24 hits the track

Unveiling the SF-24 in a brief online presentation, Charles Leclerc may like the look of his 2024 car but he admits eradicating its predecessor’s sensitivity is what matters.

Ferrari took the covers off the SF-24 during a brief online presentation on Tuesday as they showed off their 2024 challenger. The pomp and ceremony of yesteryear’s cars were sorely lacking.

But if the car performs better than it did last year, Leclerc will be the last to complain.

Charles Leclerc: Like the looks of the car but…

Revealing in the press release that he liked the new-look livery as well as the design of the car, the five-time Grand Prix winner admitted that counted for little.

Instead, it’s what the car can do on the track that matters.

“I like the look of the car a lot, including the white and yellow parts of the bodywork,” he said.

“But of course, what really interests me is how it will perform on the track, as that’s all that matters.

“The SF-24 ought to be less sensitive and easier to drive and for us drivers that’s what you need in order to do well.

“I expect the car to be a step forward in several areas and from the impression I formed in the simulator I think we’re where we want to be.

“This season the aim is to be front runners all the time and I want to give our fans plenty to cheer about, by dedicating race wins to them.”

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As for his team-mate, 2024 marks Carlos Sainz’s final season racing for Ferrari after being dumped in favour of Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season.

The Spaniard, who was the only non-Red Bull driver to win a Grand Prix in the 2023 season, has pushed that to the side to focus on his final season racing in red.

“When I saw the SF-24 for the first time, I couldn’t wait to jump in and fire it up,” he said.

“Now I’m looking forward to driving it on the track to see if correlates with the feeling I had from the simulator, which is that it’s the step forward we want.

“The aim is to have a car that’s more driveable and therefore able to run at a consistent race pace, as these are the basic requirements to fight for wins.

“We drivers have done our very best to give the engineers precise feedback and I’m sure the workforce in Maranello will have listened to our needs.

“We want to give the fans something to cheer about, as they were so supportive last year, even when things weren’t going our way.”

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