Ferrari 2024 F1 car set for "tenth and a half" boost after development milestone

The 676 has met the 798kg weight limit, Motorsport report, the first time that Ferrari have achieved such a feat with a new car since the ground-effect regulations were introduced.

By contrast, last season’s SF-23 was 6kg above the weight limit.

By lightening this season’s car, technical director Enrico Cardile has hit a major target for this winter’s development.

The body of the car, the narrower gearbox and the battery were all areas which have been made lighter.

Therefore Ferrari’s development could be worth “a tenth and a half” of a second of lap time on a track like Barcelona, the report estimates.

That is based on 10kg of weight being worth approximately three tenths.

The lighter 676 should also help to preserve the tyres, which was another goal for Ferrari.

There is quiet confidence at Maranello ahead of the F1 2024 campaign although “no one dares to make a comparison of the 676 with the SF-23”, the report states.

But wind tunnel and simulator data are giving Ferrari reason to dream.

They have already passed their first FIA crash test, while Red Bull failed theirs (albeit only because they chose to test a more extreme nose).

Ferrari will unveil the 676 at Fiorano on February 13.

The Scuderia have not crowned a Formula 1 champion since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.

Last season they were the only team aside from Red Bull to win an F1 grand prix although nobody came close to challenging Max Verstappen for the title.

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will return this year hoping for improved machinery.

Ferrari’s optimism is mitigated by the fact that Red Bull will also expect to meet the weight limit for their own F1 2024 car.