Ferrari ‘slightly behind-the-curve’ with 2024 Formula 1 car ahead of testing

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Journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm admits he’s got a little bit of fear about Ferrari’s 2024 launch car heading into pre-season testing in Bahrain.

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will be hoping they can overtake Mercedes and potentially even challenge Red Bull this season, while Lewis Hamilton will also be watching the team’s progress closely.

However, speaking on The Race Podcast ahead of all 10 teams beginning running in Bahrain, there are concerns about just how much Ferrari have kicked on this year.

Fear over Ferrari’s 2024 car ahead of Bahrain testing

There are nine teams nervously waiting for the light at the end of the pit lane to go green in Bahrain on Wednesday.

Firstly, they’ll be hoping that the work they’ve done over the winter to close the gap to the most dominant car in F1 history has been worthwhile.

Secondly, they’ll be anxiously watching on to see if the unexpected changes Red Bull have made to this year’s car have made them even quicker.

Plenty of teams have taken a lot of inspiration from the RB19 and if all of a sudden, they prove that that’s the wrong direction once again then it could be a difficult season for all of their rivals.

There is now a fear that Ferrari’s 2024 car might head into pre-season testing slightly behind their rivals.

McLaren are in a strong position after finishing last season so well, while Mercedes have also made a few important tweaks.

The last thing Frederic Vasseur will want is to be looking over his shoulder once the campaign begins.

All eyes on whether Ferrari have made important steps forward

Speaking about which team he’s looking forward to seeing in Bahrain the most, Mitchell-Malm said: “I would go with Ferrari because I’m curious to see in person how much that evolution has changed how it looks.

“I’ve got a little bit of a fear from the images that they showed that it’s a little bit of a slightly behind-the-curve approximation of an RB19.

Colleague Ben Anderson added: “It’s a safe car,” to which Mitchell-Malm replied: “Very possibly.”

Ferrari will hope that any fear about their 2024 car being too safe to compete at the top are unfounded once testing begins.

Vasseur has to keep Carlos Sainz focused given his imminent exit from the team, with other manufacturers already considering a move for the Spaniard.

There’s pressure on Charles Leclerc too to prove that Ferrari made the right call keeping him and letting his Spanish teammate go to accommodate the arrival of Lewis Hamilton.

He’s an extremely quick driver over one lap but has to find a way to convert his performances on a Saturday into wins on a Sunday.