The first half of the 2021 Formula 1 season is over and while the Scuderia Ferrari team is recharging the batteries for a few weeks of summer break, for us it’s worth looking back at the first 11 races this year to evaluate the positive and negative aspects, as well as focusing on the prospects for the second half of the season.
The Maranello team started the 2021 F1 season aware of the fact that it would not be able to challenge Mercedes and Red Bull so a third place in the constructors’ championship was always going to be the main target. An aim which seems achievable, as Ferrari has recovered the gap to McLaren in recent races and the two historic rivals are now perfectly matched with 163 (although Ferrari is not yet certain of Carlos Sainz’s third place finish in the Hungarian Grand Prix).
If we take into consideration the difficulties encountered by the Maranello team last season and the poor performance of the SF1000 car, we could say that the glass is half full after the first half of the current season. A limited power unit due to the controversial agreement with the FIA and a car created with major issues that were not possible to solve during the year or even after that: this was Ferrari’s starting point for the SF21 car, that despite the despite the premises was able to offer us some positive moments in 2021.
But it is obvious that Ferrari cannot be satisfied only with a few glimpses of the past glory. 2021 is a transitional season and Ferrari should definitely focus primarily on the development of next year’s project, when nothing less than a championship fight will be expected from the Italian side. However, Ferrari has to show the ability to maximize the results in the remaining 12 races this season to finish in third place ahead of McLaren: achieving this small target would at least provide the team with confidence required to approach that important next season.
Monaco is a clear example of how Ferrari was not able to capitalize on it’s full potential this year: a pole position wasted partially due to Charles’ mistake in qualifying but also partially as a result of Ferrari’s inspection work ahead of the race. Given the track characteristics of the Monaco circuit, the feeling is that Charles could have easily managed the race lead with a good start on the streets of Monte Carlo.
We later arrived in Hungary and it was reasonable to expect a little more in terms of performance on a track where the power unit is less important for the overall lap times. Instead, Ferrari underperformed, especially in qualifying. The race had a bittersweet outcome, with Charles Leclerc literally knocked out of the race by Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz who, with a solid performance, took advantage of the retirements and problems encountered by other drivers to score a third place.
All in all, Ferrari was able to recover some other points against the Woking team. In less than three weeks the cars will hit the track again, this time at Spa Francorchamps, a circuit that requires a lot of engine power. Just one very slow chicane for the SF21 to take advantage of, while several high-speed corners could put the Ferrari car in difficulty. The Italian side therefore approaches the Belgian race – and the second half of the championship in general – with more than one concern, as recently confirmed by Mattia Binotto.
Despite the fact that on paper Spa Francorchamps does not seem to suit Ferrari, the team looks back at the Silverstone performance and hopes to repeat it to continue the race for third place.
While Ferrari has confirmed on several occasions that the development work on the SF21 car is essentially over, as the efforts of technicians are aimed at the 2022 project, there is a real risk of losing the battle with McLaren in the second half of the season: Woking team confirmed that they will bring more updates on this year’s car. The Mercedes AMG F1 engine could also help McLaren even more, taking into consideration that a new specification of the Anglo-German V6 is expected for Spa – at most for Monza – that could provide them with a few more horsepower on circuits where engine power plays a significant role.
Scuderia Ferrari’s second part of the season will therefore be divided between the challenge of beating its rivals in the 2021 constructors’ standings and the desire not to waste valuable technical and financial resources in the key development battle for 2022. A subtle balance that may not be enough to finish ahead of a McLaren team that does not intend to give up. When the summer break is over we will face an intense triple header: Spa, Zandvoort and Monza. After that, we will have a more complete picture of what to expect.
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