It has been 15 years since Ferrari last won a Formula One world championship. Seven since they even came within a sniff of such glory.
A Ferrari car hasn’t even claimed a checkered flag in the past 45 grands prix, stretching back to Sebastian Vettel’s Singapore masterclass that had the Italian sleeping giants believing 2019 would be the year everything changed.
So much for those hopes. Two full seasons on from that Vettel victory, which came after back-to-back Charles Leclerc wins at Spa and Monza, and Ferrari have failed to make weight in the scrap for F1 superiority.
Where Red Bull have risen to match Mercedes’ supreme quality and provided us with a fresh rivalry between two of the sport’s most enigmatic drivers, Ferrari have had to make do with slugging it out alongside McLaren for bronze.
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And former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa isn’t expecting much different from the team in 2022 despite the rule changes coming to F1.
“Ferrari’s problem is not a driver problem, it’s a car problem, a team problem. [Carlos] Sainz and Leclerc form a very important driver pairing,” the Brazilian said in an interview with motorsport-magazin earlier this week.
“If there are big changes [to the rules] there can be surprises, although that’s difficult.
“I think the big teams will still be at the top, like Mercedes and Red Bull. But maybe also Ferrari or McLaren. Usually the big teams are more likely to start the year at the top.
“I hope that with the changes Ferrari can win again in 2022. I’m a Ferrari fan. But it’s not easy. It takes a lot of hard work and a cool head to get good results.”
F1 enters a new dawn this year thanks to a spate of regulation changes aimed at keeping costs down and rebalancing the competition. Last year’s title battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton provided enough drama to cover over serious issues regarding competition in the sport that owners Liberty Media are keen to address.
Among the changes are a freeze to power unit development, tightening aerodynamic testing restrictions, a reduced budget cap and new 18-inch tires that will give the sport a very different look.
There are also likely to be changes to how races are orchestrated after the chaos that ensued at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
It is hoped these edits to the rulebook will help the likes of Ferrari and McLaren, as well as Williams, Alpine and others, make a stab of a title challenge and provide viewers with 23 genuinely competitive, unpredictable races.
Mercedes chief technical officer James Allison recently explained how the rule changes will produce uncertainty at the start of the season, with some teams likely to miss their chance.
“I would imagine, given that the cars are so new and so different, that one or two cars on the grid will have got it really badly wrong and will have a terribly painful year,” Allison said.
“There’s an opportunity. And of course, there’s jeopardy. We try to pick our way through the minefield, pick up all the little boxes of treasure amongst the landmines, to end up with a car that we hope will see us pitching at the front of the grid.”
But over at Ferrari, Massa isn’t convinced. According to him, Sainz’s talent in particular may well be wasted at a team that has failed to deliver for years.
“Ferrari’s best years were with [Michael] Schumacher, then 2006, 2007, 2008. After 2009, Ferrari was no longer the team of the hour. There have been many changes and it is important to keep a cool head. That is difficult at Ferrari,” said the 40-year-old who claimed 11 race wins in his career.
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“Sainz works hard, he’s consistent and fast. He’s a very strong driver.
“[Sainz winning a championship] depends on the car. He has the necessary consistency, but it’s not easy to get a team-mate like Charles Leclerc right at the beginning. He has to do a perfect job for that.”
