A look at Ferrari’s SF21 improvements beyond power recovery of 25 HP. Ferrari's SF21 improvements beyond power recovery of 25 HP.

After the first 11 GPs of the 2021 Formula One season, it is not entirely clear which package is best. The 2020 performances compared to those of today in themselves have a relative importance but provide interesting indications because they are closely linked projects, albeit with relevant technical innovations. If a car is improving on average in relation to what it was, as well as to the others, if it tightens that average gap over the course of the races, it means that it is developing well regardless of the opponents or the episodes.

The Ferrari SF21 was the best example of significant recovery while the Aston Martin the opposite. Lately, luckily for Vettel and Stroll, some good updates have made the AMR21 at least more understandable and effective on the tires.

Ferrari has recovered a part of the CV but that is not all. The power recovery was over 40 HP, with a net recovery of around 25 HP from Mercedes and Honda.

Mattia Binotto recently spoke of the “average gap” of 2020 which stood at 1.4 sec, that of 2021 reduced to 0.7 sec, with ups and downs. Evaluating the average impact of 10 HP / 0.18 seconds in relation to the various layouts dealt with so far, we have a gain on the other cars of about half a second from the Power Unit, much more on the SF1000: over 7 tenths.

The improvement on the SF21 therefore went beyond the Power Unit.

Excluding the benefits of a more than ‘decent’ power unit that will gradually increase in performance from Belgium, the SF21 has improved in the other areas because it has not lost further ground against the top cars, on the contrary it has recovered it albeit in a less evident way than on the Power Unit side.

It is clear that Red Bull and Honda have done the best job of all, but the positive sign for 2022 must be taken: in Maranello they have chosen well what could be done to transform an almost dramatic technical situation using limitations as opportunities.

A good example is the revamped rear suspension which is now very good. The mechanical component will be the important key on the next generation of cars.