Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc qualified in fourth position in both Bahrain and Imola, while Carlos Sainz drove the Ferrari SF21 to fifth in Portimao, which represent very different results compared to several races in the 2020 Formula 1 season, where sometimes even access to Q3 was not taken for granted. Mercedes and Red Bull, however, remain distant: “We still lack a bit of power in terms of engine, even though we have made excellent progress” – the words of Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto interviewed by German magazine Auto Motor und Sport – “this lack of power is felt both in qualifying and in the race, making us vulnerable to attacks from opponents. Improving the power unit level is not easy, because you have to find performance without affecting reliability.”
The Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal has also quantified in half a second the gap that on average he expects to see in qualifying from Mercedes and Red Bull, teams to which the SF21 loses something also in terms of aerodynamics, not only of engine. As for the fight for third place that at the moment sees Ferrari chasing McLaren, Mattia Binotto underlined that it is not so much the placement that must interest the men of Maranello, as the desire to improve: “Third place is not the our main goal. It is more important to show that we have improved in all areas such as aerodynamics, chassis, engine and pit stops. If I look at the first few races, we were among the best in terms of pit stops. Only two teams averaged less than three seconds when combining all stops. We are one of them. The mentality within the team has changed to be aware every detail counts, we are able to identify our weaknesses and correct them. Nothing can happen overnight, but we are on the right path to get back to the top.” – the Ferrari boss concluded.
Leave a Reply