Much-hyped Ferrari '2.0' set to debut in Imola with team scheduling two filming days to test upgrades - Reports

Ferrari is set to bring some major upgrades for their SF-24 F1 car at the 2024 F1 Emilia Romagna GP in Imola, Italy. Prior to that, the team has also scheduled two filming days to test the upgrades.

The Italian giants have had the second-fastest car on the grid in 2024, only behind reigning world champions Red Bull. Carlos Sainz has also won a race for the Prancing Horses in Australia after defending world champion Max Verstappen suffered a brake failure in the early stages of the race. Apart from the Miami GP, at least one of the two Ferrari drivers has stood in every race in 2024.

As always, the Maranello-based team plans to continue to push forward and squeeze as much performance from the SF-24 as possible. Hence, they are introducing a massive upgrade package that will essentially create a second version of the car.

According to Formu1a.uno, the upgrades will be tested this Thursday and Friday (May 9 and 10) at Ferrari's Fiorano track. The report adds that both Charles Leclerc and Sainz will be driving the new version of the car with all the new parts. Each driver will drive 100 km, totaling the testing distance to 200km.

Speaking to the media after the 2024 F1 Miami GP, Leclerc talked about upcoming upgrades, saying (via crash.net):

“It will be a very important upgrade. It will determine how the rest of our season plays out. I’m looking forward to that and I hope that we can take a big step forward. It’s going to be an arms race of upgrades this year, and I’m glad that we’ll soon have new parts on our car that will hopefully be as good as McLaren’s.”

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Fred Vasseur on why Ferrari are bringing upgrades to their home race in Imola

Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur recently explained why his team was bringing major upgrades to Imola.

Speaking to the media at the Miami GP, he explained that the Prancing Horses were not necessarily bringing upgrades to Imola because it was their home race. He explained that Ferrari continues to push development, and it just so happened that the new parts were ready in time for the race at Imola.

Furthermore, he explained that it would be easier for the factory to send upgrades to Imola since it was within the country itself.

"When you are doing the development, it's not that we want to bring something in Imola because it's in Italy. We are pushing for the development. And as soon as we are ready, we are producing parts. The fact that Imola is close to the factory, it's also helping to bring something because we can release the parts a bit later," Vasseur said (via GPBlog).

Ferrari currently sits in second place in the 2024 F1 constructors' championship with 187 points. Meanwhile Red Bull is comfortably placed at the top of the table with 239 points.