Credits: IMAGO / Michael Potts and IMAGO / Icon Sportswire |
L: Charles Leclerc R: Joey Logano
The popularity of Formula 1 has risen since 2021 thanks to the success of Netflix’s Drive to Survive. This rise in F1’s popularity has thus prompted ongoing discussions about which motorsport discipline is the most challenging and unique. Amidst this debate, NASCAR driver Joey Logano shared his viewpoint with Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz at a roundtable. During their conversation, Logano unveiled the distinctive features of the NASCAR format, leaving Charles Leclerc utterly astonished.
Initially, Logano expressed his admiration for Formula 1 and his acknowledgment of being relatively new to the sport. The Penske driver then highlighted the differences in how F1 and NASCAR teams prepare. Further in the conversation, Leclerc asked Logano about the size of the teams in NASCAR.
Addressing the query, Logano revealed that typically each NASCAR team has about 20 people for a race weekend. However, it was after this exchange that Logano revealed the unique format of NASCAR, leaving Charles Leclerc in awe. Logano said, “So now we have a 20-minute practice and then 10 minutes after that, we qualify.”
This disclosure surprised both Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. While Carlos Sainz quickly inquired, “On Saturday already?” Leclerc appeared visibly shocked. Expressing his surprise, the Monegasque further asked Logano, “20 minutes practice and straight to qualifying?” To which Logano confirmed, “Yes, straight in,” before mentioning that the drivers then race on “Sunday.”
What are recent reports regarding Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz’s SF24?
In the previous season, Ferrari emerged as the sole team, besides Red Bull, to clinch a Grand Prix victory. While Ferrari easily managed the qualifying pace, they faced difficulties during race days, mainly because of tire degradation.
Consequently, reports suggest that Ferrari plans to overhaul their 2024 car extensively, with a 95% transformation. This certainly points to how the Italian team is keen on elevating its competitiveness after two seasons of midfield struggles. Hence, this raises the question of what Ferrari plans to achieve in the forthcoming 2024 season.
According to early reports from Maranello, the outlook is optimistic. They expect the new SF-24 to be a clear step forward from its predecessor. The 95% overhaul is mostly drawing inspiration from Red Bull’s concepts. While the launch-spec car did not show many visible changes in the released renders by Ferrari, the car in Bahrain testing and at the first race weekend could be quite different.
Moreover, there’s a significant focus on Ferrari for securing what could potentially be the biggest deal in F1 history, that is Ferrari’s pursuit of Lewis Hamilton.
Nevertheless, with Hamilton’s potential arrival in 2025, Ferrari still faces a full season of competition ahead. Consequently, the team will concentrate their efforts on the current season and aim to minimize the distance to Red Bull as much as they can.
