F1 News: Ferrari Plans Drastic Changes For 2024 - "95% Of Components"

Ferrari chief Fred Vasseur opens up on the team's 2023 struggles and the big changes coming to 2024.

Ferrari's 2024 Formula 1 car marks a significant departure from this year's model, with Team Principal Frederic Vasseur confirming a dramatic overhaul of 95% of its components. This shift comes as a response to a challenging season, where Ferrari fell to third in the Constructors' Championship.

Key Takeaways:

• Major Overhaul Announced: Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari's Team Principal, revealed that the 2024 Formula 1 car, which will be unveiled on February 13, will feature a sweeping change with “95 per cent” new components.
• Response to a Difficult Season: After a tough year where Ferrari only managed a single win at the Singapore Grand Prix and struggled against dominant rivals Red Bull, these changes aim to revitalise the team's performance.

Ferrari's decision to drastically revamp its Formula 1 car for the 2024 season comes on the heels of a disappointing campaign. The Italian squad, once a frontrunner in the sport, slipped to third in the Constructors' Championship, a stark contrast to their initial aspirations of contending for the title. Their struggle was highlighted by Red Bull's dominance, who won 21 out of 22 races, leaving Ferrari's sole victory at the Singapore Grand Prix as a mere consolation.

Frederic Vasseur, taking charge for his first year with the Maranello-based squad, faced numerous challenges but remains optimistic. He reflects on the initial struggles, particularly at the season's beginning, with races in Bahrain and Australia where Ferrari's performance was notably lacklustre. Contrary to expectations that Ferrari would start strong, Vasseur was taken aback by the early setbacks, leading to a reassessment of the team's strategy and execution. Vasseur explained to the media:

“One year ago was quite a challenge because I joined quite late. It was a huge wave of things to manage, to understand and to discover in a couple of weeks.

“It was four weeks before the launch and five or six weeks before the Bahrain race [when I joined].

“But now I think it’s a much more comfortable situation. I know almost everybody in the company, the system, I have a better understanding of this. I think I'm doing a good job, a better job than last year, let's say.

“We need to keep the momentum and I think that even if the last part of the season went pretty well. It's never enough and we don't have to stop this.”

He added:

“Everybody told me that 'you will see at Ferrari that you start the season very well and then it's going down'.

“And trust me, after Jeddah or Melbourne, I said 'what the f***? If this was the good part of the season, we will be in big trouble'.

“The perception that you have from an external point of view of Ferrari is probably wrong.

“When I was outside, I was always thinking that the team would overreact to every single event.

“But the team was very, very calm after Melbourne. We were cautious of the situation and the weakness of the car.”

Vasseur went on to confirm that the team will be changing 95% of the components on the 2024 contender. He concluded:

“I don’t know if revolution is the right word. We have the same regulations now three years in a row that you can't change massively. It’s a matter of tenths of a second.

“For sure, we have to do a step on that, we don’t underestimate the step. We are changing 95 per cent of the components, perhaps you can consider that it's a revolution, I don't know if it will be.

“The expectation is that we are focused on ourselves, we are doing a good step forward. But in the end, it's always a matter of comparison, you can improve by 100 steps but if the others are improving by 120 you will look stupid.”

Ferrari Press Image