Scuderia Ferrari—which has been in the spotlight since Lewis Hamilton’s ‘dream switch’ announcement—revealed its new 2024 Formula 1 car the Ferrari SF-24, during an online-only launch event from its Maranello base on Tuesday. The new SF-24 F1 challenger shows off itself in classic Ferrari red-themed exterior and ‘completely new’ technicalities.
The Italian giant’s Technical Director Enrico Cardile provided his detailed insights on the Ferrari SF-24’s technical features, especially on its ‘push-rod suspension.’
Enrico Cardile reveals importance of push-rod suspension
Ferrari’s Head of Aerodynamics Enrico Cardile recently revealed the technical details behind the Ferrari SF-24 sticking with its ‘pull-rod rear suspension’ layout, while other teams have switched to Red Bull’s ‘push-rod’ style.
Explaining the decision-making process behind the ‘pull-rod’ layout, he said, “We tested for a couple of years a push-rod suspension. In reality, our rear suspension is a bit different in terms of top and lower wishbone distribution compared to a Red Bull one, to mention one team.”
“We recorded good aero results moving towards this direction and when moving from pull-rod to push-rod, we didn’t measure a big advantage to justify some compromise in terms of weight or compliance. So, from there, we evolved our suspension, keeping the same layout,” Cardile added.
Ferrari claims the pull-rod design in the SF-24’s rear suspension is highly ‘innovative’, as it has produced a much shorter gearbox. Compared to the SF-23, the pull-rod element in the SF-24 is now positioned further forward, aiming to enhance compliance and boost anti-squat capabilities.
While comparing the SF-24’s suspension to last season’s one, he added, “The main differences compared to last year’s car are on the rear, where the inboard suspension is differently located inside the gearbox. It is also a different concept which, for us at least, has been an innovation because it’s a different way to manage the inboard suspension compared to what we did in the past.”
Although Ferrari has maintained the ‘pull-rod’ rear suspension layout in the SF-24, significant changes have been made in other areas of the car.
What changes did Ferrari make to the SF-24?
Ferrari terms the new SF-24 as a ‘big departure’ from the 2022 and ’23 cars, with an aerodynamic concept change. The most ‘visual’ change in the SF-24 is how the unfloor flow is distributed. Its sidepod has been cut out more heavily at the front than was the case last year.
It also makes use of Red Bull-like lower lips ahead of the radiator inlets above the undercut. The sidepod is more ramped down than last year’s, with a mild angle that is similar to other ’24 F1 cars.
The Ferrari SF-24 retains its previous wide nose and push-rod front/pull-rod rear layout. The suspension layouts feature slightly altered upper wishbone angles to optimize the anti-dive effect at the front and the anti-squat at the rear.
The gearbox casing has been reduced by nearly 5cm (and the chassis length increased by 5cm to retain the same overall length), giving more volume around the diffuser.
Ferrari will enter the F1 tracks with the ‘changed’ SF-24 on 2nd March at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
Can the ‘innovative’ SF-24 fire Ferrari to the F1 world title this season? Or will its ‘pull-rod’ layout design backfire on Ferrari’s performance? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
