Do Ferrari stand a chance against Red Bull? 'The feeling is different'

Preparations for the upcoming Formula 1 season are in full swing. The presentations of the 2024 cars are about to start, test days are just around the corner, and the season starts again in just over a month. Every year, what the teams will deliver is exciting, but at Ferrari, the sounds about the new car are positive.

At Ferrari's Christmas dinner in Maranello, team boss Fred Vasseur already told Mundo Deportivo that the car will be 95% new by 2024. According to Vasseur and Enrico Cardile, responsible for the chassis, Ferrari is on the right path for the coming season. The difference in speed between qualifying and the race should end.

Positive noises from Maranello

Marc Gené, test driver for Ferrari since 2005, says the new car provides better feelings in the simulator than last season's car around this time. ''All we can say is what the simulator tells us and the feeling of the drivers in the simulator. At least the track is the final judge, but it is true that at this stage last year, we were not completely convinced by the car because of what the simulator told us and this year the sensations are very different.''

Red Bull Racing remains the favourite for the world championship

Gené expects Ferrari to take a step forward next season, but Red Bull Racing remains the big favourite for the world championship. "Will we see Ferrari and Carlos Sainz competing for the world championship? It's difficult because Red Bull had a very big margin last year, and they say this year's car is much better. They are clearly the favourites. To compete with them for the world championship is a bit optimistic to say, but to take a step forward and be able to compete with them, yes.''

Just how the relationships between Ferrari and the rest of the field really are will partly already be seen during the test days in Bahrain from 21 to 23 February. To really know how things are, they will have to wait until the first race on 2 March in Bahrain.