Pictures: Ferrari's new SF-24 uncovered as testing begins

Ferrari’s new SF-24 has run for the first time in pre-season testing, giving a clearer view of the Scuderia’s latest design.

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The car was launched on Tuesday last week, following which drivers Carlos Sainz Jnr and Charles Leclerc conducted a series of installation laps at the team’s Fiorano test track.

While the team has called it a “completely new” design, the SF-24 is clearly evolved from the car which ended last season as the most consistent challenger to champions Red Bull. Ferrari set out to create a car with more forgiving and predictable handling than its predecessor, without sacrificing the performance over a single lap which helped them take seven pole positions last year.

“The main targets we give to us developing the SF-24 has been to enhance the drive-ability of our car, to allow our drivers to exploit all the potential,” explained chassis technical director Enrico Cardile. “The other target has been to have a robust platform in terms of delivery on-track to make sure that all the performance developed in the wind tunnel will be present also on track.”

The team has set itself more demanding targets for development with its latest car, said Cardile. “The target we had for developing the SF-24 are the same we [had] during the in-season development of the SF-23. So in terms of a general target, yes, SF-24 is in continuity with what we try to achieve that with the SF-23 during the season. But is a big departure compared to what we did in ’22 and ’23.”

Leclerc was first to drive the car when testing began on Wednesday. Sainz took over in the afternoon, beginning his final season at the team before he is replaced by Lewis Hamilton for 2025.