Month: February 2024

Tests of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship, how did they go?

The 2024 Formula 1 World Championship winter testing was held in a single event in Sakhir, Bahrain, from 21 to 23 February. Here's how they went and what were the results recorded on the track by the new single-seaters, presented just a few days ago.

Every year, the lead-up to a new Formula 1 season is marked by two fundamental stages: the presentations of the new single-seaters and the winter tests . In particular, the latter represent a sort of dress rehearsal for the Formula 1 World Championship , the only official opportunity for the ten teams to refine the feeling between car and drivers before the start of the season. It is normal, therefore, that the eyes of professionals and enthusiasts are focused precisely on the tests, which heat up the environment and increase curiosity for the start of the new championship.

The 2024 Formula 1 winter testing schedule

This year too, however, four-wheel fans, as already happened in 2023, had to settle for just one appointment for the Formula 1 winter tests, instead of the two scheduled for the 2022 season. The 2024 Formula 1 World Championship , in fact, is already upon us (it will start on March 2) and will be the longest in history. There was therefore little time to test the new single-seaters, given that the presentations ended in mid-February . For this reason, the only 2024 Formula 1 winter tests were held from 21 to 23 February in Bahrain , precisely on the Sakhir track, the same one that will host the first Grand Prix of the season.

What to give to a Formula 1 fan?

All test results from the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship

Formula 1 fans know this well: the results of winter tests should always be taken with a pinch of salt , because they can be misleading. In fact, there are many possibilities for teams to "bluff" to maintain an aura of mystery about their strengths and especially their weaknesses until the moment of the first Grand Prix. However, this does not mean that the tests cannot provide some useful information for imagining the Championship to come . From this point of view it is therefore legitimate to ask what the laps of the track done by the single-seaters in Bahrain revealed. The final time classification reveals a Ferrari capable of taking home the virtual front row: first Sainz , who stopped the clock of his fastest lap under a minute and a half (1'29''921), second Lecrerc , who stopped just above (1'30''322). Followed by Russell on Mercedes (1'30''368), Zhou on Sauber (1'30''647) and Perez and Verstappen on Red Bull (with 1'30''679 and 1'30''755 respectively). In the three days of Sakhir there were different simulations both on the "flying lap" and on the race pace. Only the start of the season will reveal who got close to 3-time World Champion Max Verstappen and Red Bull.

Formula 1 - Italian Grand Prix 2024

The original contents of this article are produced by an external service without any involvement of the press office of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.

by rossifra

Presentations of the Formula 1 single-seaters, the complete calendar for 2024

In the first half of February, the teams competing in the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship will present the new single-seaters. A crucial step ahead of the new season, which attracts all Formula 1 fans.

The presentations of the single-seaters and the winter tests in preparation for the new season are the stages leading up to the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship . The first official outing of the cars is scheduled for February 21st to 23rd in Sakhir, Bahrain. By that date, therefore, all the teams must have presented their new race cars. Launch events always attract a lot of attention and exert a particular fascination on enthusiasts and professionals. It is from that moment, in fact, that you can begin to fantasize about the new season, venturing into more or less reliable predictions.

F1 World Championship 2024, the calendar of single-seater presentations

Almost all the teams that will participate in the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship have communicated the presentation date of the new single-seaters and all the events will be concentrated in the first half of February .

Here is the calendar of events (the name of the car in brackets):

• Haas F1 (VF-24) – February 2
• Williams (FW46) - February 5
• Sauber (C44) - 5 February
• Alpine (A524) - 7 February
• Visa Cash App Racing Bulls – February 9th
• Aston Martin Racing (AMR24) - 12 February
• Ferrari - 13 February
• Mercedes (W15) - February 14
• McLaren (MCL38) - 14 February
• Red Bull Racing (RB20) - February 15

The 2024 Formula 1 single-seaters

Below, a brief summary of the main characteristics of each car that will take part in the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship.

Haas - VF-24

Also for 2024, Haas has chosen a digital-only presentation of the new single-seater, releasing renderings of the livery of the new car from which little can be hypothesized regarding any technical innovations. The photos, however, were then followed by the first real images, coming from the Silverstone circuit, where Haas raced its first filming day. Overall, there is a slimming of the sides , also made possible by moving the radiators to a central position . On the mechanical front, the suspensions with push rod model on the front and pull rod on the rear appear to be confirmed.

Williams - FW46

The launch of the new Williams single-seater took place in New York, in the iconic Puma flagship store. However, it was a partial presentation. In fact, only the livery of the FW46 has been revealed , while maximum confidentiality has been maintained on the technical innovations, which will only be made known during the first official tests. The aesthetics of the new car that will be driven by Albon and Sargeant do not differ much from the 2023 version. The navy blue color remains prevalent, with variations in lighter and darker shades. Furthermore, on the muzzle there is a double red and white stripe , a tribute to the glorious past of the team.

Sauber - C44

At Sauber , however, a choice was made opposite to that of Williams, revolutionizing the colors of the livery . Goodbye to the red-white references, a sign of the collaboration with Alfa Romeo, and space instead for a powerful combination of black and acid green . As regards technical innovations, however, the most obvious are the new pull-rod front suspension , which replaced the previous push-rod system, and an aerodynamic package with very aggressive lines .

Alpine - A524

Let's now move to Enstone, where the veils covering the new Alpine single-seater have fallen, revealing what appears to be a real revolution. In fact, there are many new features that characterize the A524 . A lot of work was done on the frame , which came out completely redesigned as well as lighter . Furthermore, a new rear suspension system was introduced and the front suspension system was optimized (in both cases, however, the push-rod model was confirmed). Finally, it is also worth mentioning the important changes that affected the air cooling system .

Visa CashApp Racing Bulls – VCARB 01

Visa CashApp Racing Bulls , the new name of the former AlphaTauri team, has instead chosen Las Vegas to unveil the VCARB 01. Even in this case, however, only renderings were shown and not the real car. The new single-seater features a livery that takes you back in time, because its colors and style recall that used by the latest Toro Rosso cars (2019): dominant blue, broken up by two white stripes with red edges. From a mechanical point of view, however, the clues obtainable from the images seem to indicate a strong resemblance to the Red Bull RB19.

Aston Martin Racing - AMR24

The AMR24 , the car with which Aston Martin will present itself at the starting line of the 2024 season, presents important evolutions compared to the 2023 single-seater, but not radical upheavals. The livery is in absolute continuity with last year , with the exception of a few details. More interesting, however, are the technical variations. What stands out above all is the shorter muzzle and the smaller air inlets . Furthermore, the rear suspension switches from the pull rod model to the push rod one , realigning itself with the front ones. Finally, the overall slimming of the bodywork should be highlighted.

Ferrari - SF-22

There are also many new features at Ferrari . The new SF-24 , shown only on video in the presentation event and then seen live during the shakedown held in Fiorano, already appears evolved in the livery , with the traditional white and yellow stripes that gain more space, starting from the nose, and with the wheel covers turning red. As regards the mechanics, the distinction between the front (push-rod) and rear (pull-rod) suspensions remains but the installation points of the arms on the frame change. Interesting elements are also the lengthening of the chassis itself, the moving back of the gearbox and engine and the reshaping of the sides .

Mercedes - W15

Mercedes has chosen a truly revolutionary approach. The W15 offers a radical renewal compared to the 2023 single-seater, both in form and substance. First of all, silver dominates the livery again , a tribute to the 90 years of the team. In terms of structure and mechanics, a very important change concerns the height from the ground , which decreases again but without reaching the record limits of 2022, which we had caused some problems. The chassis , the nose and the gearbox are new, just as the position of the cockpit appears further back, in response to needs expressed by Hamilton.

McLaren - MCL38

Among the last single-seaters to be presented, the MCL38 from McLaren showed itself to the world of enthusiasts with the classic livery dominated by orange , combined with the carbon black of the unpainted parts. From a structural and mechanical point of view, the English car manufacturer seems to have worked a lot on details and not on major upheavals. The nose attaches to the front wing on the second profile, the bellies are quite pronounced and go down drastically at the rear, on the bonnet there are two "pipes" which convey the hot air onto the rear wing. Finally, the distinction between rear (push rod) and front (pull rod) has been confirmed in the suspensions .

Red Bull Racing - RB20

The RB20 was long in coming but did not disappoint expectations, with which Red Bull will try to confirm itself as the dominator of Formula 1 also next season. Regardless of the motto "you don't change a team that wins", the Keynes team has revolutionized the single-seater with which it won the last championship. What remains practically identical is only the coloring. Among the most impactful innovations are the elongated snout , the completely redesigned entrance to the bellies and the overall shapes which appear very extreme . The suspension systems, however, are confirmed, but with changes to the kinematics.

Formula 1 - Italian Grand Prix 2022

The original contents of this article are produced by an external service without any involvement of the press office of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.

by rossifra