Former Formula 1 driver and current DTM star Timo Glock and current BMW Motorsport works driver believes Scuderia Ferrari has a strong chance of challenging Mercedes and Red Bull for the Formula One title in the next season.
The German professional racing driver, who raced in F1 for the Jordan, Toyota, Virgin Racing and Marussia F1 teams, feels the Italian side will once again be able to fight for race victories in the 2022 championship as a result of the regulation changes and thanks to its “strong driver pairing”.
Scuderia Ferrari is putting its faith in its current line-uo for the long haul, as Charles Leclerc’s contract is available until 2026 and Carlos Sainz is close to signing a contract extension for the following years.
When asked if he believes Scuderia Ferrari can return to the top, Timo Glock looked confident that the Italian side will enter the fray and challenge for the F1 title.
“Yes, I believe they are capable of doing so.” – Timo Glock said, in a recent interview for Sky Germany – “From the driver pairing, they are very, very well positioned and I think the performance has shown it. It kept going up.” – he added.
Scuderia Ferrari had a lengthy road to recovery after the terrible 2020 season when the Maranello team started struggling with a power unit deficit due to a FIA technical directives that reduced its Formula 1 engine’s performance. Ferrari ended the 2020 campaign in the midfield zone but bounced back last season with five podium finishes which allowed them to beat McLaren in the fight for third place in the Constructors’ Championship.
Now the focus is in the 2022 Formula 1 season and Ferrari officially presented its challenger for the next campaign last week, with a radical and aggressive design for the F1-75 car. Timo Glock also feels Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will have a big part to play as well.
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“They have a very, very strong driver pairing,” said the 39-year-old. “Sainz showed it last season, [he] was incredibly strong in his first year, kept putting pressure on Charles Leclerc and in the end also placed ahead of him in the championship.” – he added.
Leclerc was outscored by Sainz in the Spaniard’s first season with Ferrari and Glock concedes there will “always be friction” in a team where both drivers are fighting for the championship. The German believes if a driver tries to assert his dominance over the other then “elbows will be out and then you can be prepared for one or two problems to arise”.
There were signs of small frustration in 2021 when, in Saudi Arabia, Charles Leclerc was asked to move aside for a faster Carlos Sainz. The Monegasque did not do so right away, but Glock feels that is water under the bridge: “I think they are getting along very well at the moment,” continued Timo Glock, who explained “bringing Ferrari back to the top and fighting for the World Championship” is the team’s key goal.”
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