For Scuderia Ferrari the glass is half full considering the starting point ahead of the 2021 Formula 1 season. As a matter of fact, Ferrari is the team which has improved the most since 2020. More in qualifying than in race pace, where tire management remains critical.
The Reds finished 1 minute behind Mercedes, a lot but considering that both Ferrari cars had been easily lapped on the same track 4 months ago, there was some progress. Excellent start for the drivers: carlos Sainz immediately adapted well, while Charles Leclerc got off to a great start, with a super qualifying lap and a super overtaking move on Bottas at the start, before having to lose positions due to the pace of his car.
However, the goal of returning at least the third force in the world championship is still a long way off: McLaren is ahead for the moment, taking into consideration the Lando Norris’ race pace at the Bahrain International Circuit and perhaps the Alpha Tauri would have been too if the Faenza team hadn’t made several management mistakes during the Bahrain weekend.
A team that has disappointed, but has a potential greater than the results, is Aston Martin. Above all, the one who disappointed was Sebastian Vettel, as the former Scuderia Ferrari driver messed up both in qualifying and in the race. On the contrary, the other world champion, Fernando Alonso, was immediately convincing on his Formula 1 return. However, he will have to deal with an Alpine that appeared in difficulty compared to last year’s Renault.
In any case, the big group behind Mercedes and Red Bull is compact, divided by a few tenths: the balance in the so-called midfield may vary from track to track. Starting from Imola, a track with very different characteristics compared to Bahrain: on the circuit named after Enzo and Dino Ferrari the SF21 is at least called upon to improve the sixth and eighth place on Sunday.
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