F1 News: Charles Leclerc offers verdict on new Ferrari SF-24 challenger

Charles Leclerc squints as he looks at a screen in the Ferrari pit garage — Photo: © IMAGO

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Leclerc reveals bold F1 verdict on new Ferrari challenger

The Monegasque driver hopes to challenge Red Bull for the title this year

Tyler Rowlinson

Tuesday 13 February 2024 18:57 Updated: 21:15

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Charles Leclerc has spoken about his excitement for the upcoming season as his new Ferrari challenger was unveiled on Tuesday.

The SF-24 was one of the most eagerly anticipated car launches in F1, and it will sport a unique livery as the team hope to dethrone Max Verstappen and Red Bull after their dominance in 2023.

The car will be piloted by Leclerc and team-mate Carlos Sainz for a final season before the sensational arrival of Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season.

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And the Monegasque driver, who recently signed a new long-term contract with Ferrari, expressed his excitement about getting behind the wheel of his new machine.

The SF-24 was unveiled on Thursday morning

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will pilot the machine for one final season

Lewis Hamilton will replace Sainz at Ferrari in 2025

Leclerc excited for new season

“I'm just super excited because there's so much work going on at the moment,” he said as per the Daily Mail.

“As I was saying, we started to develop the new car many months ago already, virtually first on the simulator in Maranello, then we see the first part physical parts.

“I saw the car yesterday, not fully painted yet, but the first model of it.

“So already there you start to get excited and then we get to drive the car for the first time around the launch, which will be next week, which again, I'm really looking forward to

“There are lots of question marks. Of course, we have driven the car but then all the remains to be seen in reality, whether everything fits what we've felt in the virtual world and the simulator, which normally does when everything goes well.

“From now on, I'm just really excited to be next week and to be trying to the car more.

“I mean, now with the technology we get, it's absolutely crazy how close it gets [the simulator], but there can be some mis-correlations that over the years, we always try to do the boundaries and to get as close to reality as possible, but they've done a great job of that, so I'm sure it will very similar to what I've tried on the simulator.”

Red Bull Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Charles Leclerc Carlos Sainz