The 2024 season hasn't started yet, but behind the scenes Formula 1 is already in motion. In the factory the teams are in fact busy in the assembly phase of the new cars that will take to the track during the world championship which will start next month in Bahrain, while Pirelli testing continues on the track, even during the winter break.
In fact, at the beginning of next week, Ferrari will take part in a three-day test session in Barcelona organized by the Milanese manufacturer to continue tire development for next season. The most interesting aspect is that the Cavallino team will present itself in Spain with two different cars, namely the single-seater from last season, the SF-23, and that of the 2022 championship, the F1-75, the first of the new regulations with the return to ground effect.
On Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 January, official drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will be behind the wheel of the SF-23 to support Pirelli in its tire development program. However, on Monday there will also be another driver on the track, Arthur Leclerc, recently confirmed as the Prancing Horse's development driver for 2024: the Monegasque will be at the wheel of the F1-75, a car that can run freely without restrictions having two years behind us, as per the regulations.
Photo by: Ferrari
Arthur Leclerc, Ollie Bearman, Ferrari
For the youngest of the Leclerc brothers it will be his debut in a Formula 1 car, as well as an opportunity to accumulate kilometers on a top series single-seater, an aspect that will come in handy in his duties on the simulator, where he will support the team in putting in setting up the single-seaters and evaluating updates during the season.
On Tuesday 30th, however, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will lap both on the SF-23 and on the F1-75 with a split programme, while on Wednesday 31st, the last day of Pirelli testing, Oliver Bearman will be alone on the track at the wheel of the Ferrari 2022. Thus like the youngest of the Leclerc brothers, the Briton also officially joined the Cavallino group, thus alongside his commitment in Formula 2, albeit in his case as a reserve, ready to intervene in the event of incapacity of one of the two official drivers . The Englishman will share the role with Antonio Giovinazzi and Robert Shwartzman, who will instead be involved in the WEC world championship at the wheel of the Ferrari 499P Hypercar. It won't be the 18-year-old's first experience in an F1 car, as last year he tested at Fiorano in an SF-21 and then drove for Haas in FP1 in Mexico and Abu Dhabi, as well as in the for young pilots always in Yas Marina.
As for Pirelli, starting this year the number of days available to develop and evaluate its products in view of the following championships has been increased, going from 35 to 40 days on the track to be shared with the teams taking part in the championship.
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-23
Running in winter represents a chance to test the prototypes with lower temperatures, on circuits where the track can also be watered to run in the wet, as has already been done in recent years at Paul Ricard. In fact, after having already introduced the full wet ones which do not require the use of tyrewarmers, the Italian company is also continuing the development of the intermediate ones with the same methods, with the aim of introducing them in the future.
As regards slicks, however, after the rejection of tires that do not require preheating, Pirelli is evaluating various ideas for the future: one of the solutions on the table are prototypes that are less sensitive in the warm-up phase, but which should guarantee greater resistance to overheating during the race stint.
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