Ferrari announces the name for its 2024 F1 challenger

As the team gears up for the 2024 season, Scuderia Ferrari has revealed the name for its challenger for the upcoming season.

The 2023 season was a tale of mixed fortunes for Ferrari. On one hand, Carlos Sainz emerged as the sole non-Red Bull driver to claim a race win as the Spaniard cruised to victory on the Marina Bay Circuit with the SF-23.

On the other hand, the Italian outfit, despite an improved second half of the season, fumbled the runner-up position in the Constructors' standings as Mercedes edged the team by four points.

Now, leading up to the 2024 season, Ferrari enthusiasts are hopeful for a reinvigorated performance from the Maranello-based team spearheaded by the duo of Sainz and Charles Leclerc. As the team attempts to put behind the ghosts of its past, the Italian giants have revealed the name for its 2024 challeneger.

Continuing the trend that has been followed since the 2021 season, the car to be used in the 2024 campaign will be called "SF-24." The 'SF' in the name stands for Scuderia Ferrari.

Notably, the only deviation from this naming tradition was in 2022 when the F1-75 paid homage to the company's 75th birthday.

The SF-24, previously codenamed Project 676 during the winter months, has now been named just over two weeks before its official launch date. The team is set to reveal it's livery on February 13.

Ferrari ambassador Marc Gene optimistic with SF-24's prospects

During the recent Grand Gala event, Marc Gene, a former test driver and a brand ambassador for the Italian outfit, offered an optimistic outlook on the SF-24's prospects. The 49-year-old stalwart said:

"All we can tell is what the simulator tells us and the sensations of the drivers in the simulator."

Speaking about the upcoming on-track debut of the SF-24 on February 13 and the subsequent pre-season test in Bahrain, Gene added:

"We still have to wait to see the car on the track, which will be on February 13 and then the pre-season test in Bahrain. The track is the only one that really rules and is the final judge."

Addressing the competition posed by the dominant Red Bull, Gene acknowledged the prowess of the reigning two-time constructors' champion. He said:

"Fighting with them for the world championship is a bit optimistic to say. But to take one more step forward and be able to fight more assiduously with them, then yes."