Both Scuderia Ferrari and McLaren benefit from a very good winter in the local factory. McLaren built on a good basis and accomplished the “heart” transplant from the Renault to the Mercedes V6 turbo almost perfectly. This show of strength deserves applause. Just like the turnaround at Ferrari. The Maranello team had started work this early last year after it was clear that the SF1000 was a bad design by Ferrari standards.
The engine was 50 HP back, the air resistance much too high, the car still not a high-flyer in the corners, the aerodynamics simply inefficient. Ferrari created new structures in the factory and the turnaround came. The package is improved all round. In slow corners, the SF21 is even the benchmark in the field. Both upgraded in small steps over the season and both have minor innovations and updates in the pipeline until the summer break.
Ferrari probably achieved less than their true potential in the first few races. At least that’s what the McLaren drivers think. On the other hand, Ferrari reacted quickly to the problems with the tires in Bahrain and Portimao and was already better positioned in the next race. Error analysis is one of the new strengths of the Maranello team. The preparation in the factory is done much better. The Ferrari SF21 cars are usually fast from the first lap of practice. For McLaren it takes longer to unleash the potential.
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