Ferrari surprised the field to win their third race of 2024 in Monza. Fresh updates to the SF-24 helped secure the team’s first victory in over three months, unlocking a key step forward in qualifying and – above all – race trim. In more positive news for the team, Ferrari have upgrades in the pipeline as they approach a sequence of races that should play to the SF-24’s strengths.
F1 News: Ferrari can unlock more performance with upgrades and optimisation
Strong Ferrari tracks are upcoming
On paper, Italy’s track configuration has some different characteristics to Baku’s City Circuit. The Azerbaijani layout features more tricky slow-speed sections, putting far greater stress on drivers and engineers to find the ideal set-up.
However, due to Baku’s 2.2-kilometre back straight, F1 teams generally use similar set-ups to those used in Monza. Low-downforce rear wing configurations are common, with top speed and balance under braking the two constant requirements.
This is good news for Ferrari, who perform well in these conditions. The upgraded SF-24 eliminated the Scuderia’s mid-season weaknesses (bouncing and unpredictable handling) whilst restoring its strengths from the start of 2024.
Although Fred Vasseur’s squad understandably put huge importance on their home race, their latest package is not circuit-specific. If anything, the true extent of Ferrari’s progress should become clearer in Baku and Singapore.
Singapore, where Carlos Sainz claimed victory last season, is traditionally a strong circuit for Ferrari.
With the SF-24 once again a force to be reckoned with in the low-speed corners, the Singapore GP (much like Monaco) should be another opportunity for the team to score big points.
A promising short and medium-term trajectory
Team principal Fred Vasseur has already expressed optimism about the development of the 2025 car. The next few months are also crucial for developing next year’s cars, as hitting the ground running with the 2026 regulations is crucial.
Once 2025 begins, teams will concentrate their resources on the new generation of 2026 cars.
Because of this, the factory in Maranello worked intensely to produce their Italian GP upgrade package. In the short term, the success of these updates provides a foundation for the remainder of the season.
After months of uncertainty about their development path, Ferrari can be confident in their new aerodynamic platform. The data from last weekend’s on-track action corresponded with the wind tunnel, meaning that the team’s previous limitation is no longer an obstacle.
With success in 2025 dependent on evolving from the baselines established this year, Ferrari are in a strong position to fight at the front next year.
Even before the team’s recent Monza success, Fred Vasseur spoke in confident terms about the future. His decision not to pursue Adrian Newey was based on a belief that Maranello’s existing technical structure is not worth disturbing for one person.
Although Ferrari’s success in 2026 is impossible to predict, their resilience and ability to bounce back over the last eighteen months are a glowing endorsement of their technical department.
Assuming the Scuderia can avoid any more hiccups, they can continue piling the pressure on Red Bull and McLaren in the Championship.
