Ferrari SF-24
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It was driven by Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc, with Sainz competing in his final season for the team. Reserve driver Oliver Bearman substituted for Sainz at one race after the Spaniard required emergency surgery for appendicitis. The car debuted at the Bahrain Grand Prix and went on to win five races. Leclerc won the Monaco and Italian Grands Prix, while Sainz won the Mexico City Grand Prix.
The SF-24 also recorded two 1–2 finishes: one with a returning Sainz at the Australian Grand Prix, and another with Leclerc at the United States Grand Prix. In total, the car achieved twenty-two podiums, four pole positions, and four fastest laps. At the season opener in Bahrain, Sainz took third place for the team’s first podium of the year, while Leclerc finished fourth after battling brake issues.
For the next race, Sainz withdrew due to illness and underwent surgery for appendicitis; Bearman qualified eleventh and finished seventh, while Leclerc placed third after being overtaken by Sergio Pérez. Sainz returned for the Australian Grand Prix, qualifying second. Leclerc qualified fifth but was promoted to fourth after a penalty for Pérez. In the race, Sainz passed Max Verstappen for the lead on lap two; Verstappen retired on lap four due to brake failure.
Leclerc also secured the fastest lap. The race ended under safety car after a last-lap crash by George Russell. At the Japanese Grand Prix, Sainz started fourth and Leclerc eighth.
Ferrari used different strategies: Sainz on two stops, Leclerc on one. Leclerc conserved his tires well to finish fourth, while Sainz took third, closing on Pérez in the final laps. Before the Miami Grand Prix, Ferrari gained a new title sponsor, HP, and introduced a one-off livery for the race featuring "Azzurro La Plata" and "Azzurro Dino" to mark the team’s 70th anniversary in the United States. HP branding then appeared on the base livery from the next race, where an upgrade was also introduced.
Lore & Background
The SF-24 made its competitive debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where Carlos Sainz Jr. secured the team's first podium of the season in third place. Charles Leclerc, who qualified second, finished fourth after a brake issue. At the following race, Sainz was withdrawn after falling ill and required emergency surgery for appendicitis; reserve driver Oliver Bearman replaced him, qualifying eleventh and finishing seventh. Leclerc finished third. Leclerc also secured the fastest lap.
The race ended under safety car after a last-lap accident by George Russell. At the Japanese Grand Prix, Sainz finished third and Leclerc fourth using a one-stop strategy. The team gained a title sponsor in HP, introducing an updated livery with 'Azzurro La Plata' and 'Azzurro Dino' for the Miami Grand Prix, marking Ferrari's 70th anniversary in the United States. The team suffered a double retirement in Canada—Leclerc with engine issues and Sainz colliding with Alex Albon.
Reader's Guide
Its competitive debut in Bahrain showed early promise, and the car's resilience was demonstrated when reserve driver Oliver Bearman stepped in for an ill Carlos Sainz Jr. and scored points. The Australian Grand Prix victory, where Sainz overtook the dominant Max Verstappen and led a team 1–2, signaled Ferrari's return to winning form. The car's success at historic circuits—Monaco, Monza, and Mexico City—reasserted Ferrari's presence at iconic venues.
The SF-24 also introduced a new livery with HP branding and special blue hues for Ferrari's 70th anniversary in North America. With twenty-two podiums and four pole positions, the SF-24 contributed to a competitive season for the team, though it also experienced setbacks such as a double retirement in Canada. The car's legacy includes ending long win droughts at Monaco, Monza, and Mexico City, and it served as the platform for Sainz's final season with Ferrari.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Ferrari SF-24 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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