A private investigation in 2019 forced Ferrari’s hand to make some changes to their engine for 2020. The changes were intended to ensure Ferrari complies with FIA regulations. This has a significant impact on the performance of the SF1000.
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This season Ferrari showed the worst performance since 1980. They dropped out of the ‘Big 3′ status and finished P6 in the constructors’ championship. The problem with the engine also had a knock-on effect on Ferrari’s customer teams.
Alfa Romeo and Haas also ended up in P8 and P9 at the bottom of the table. One can only assume that the Ferrari customer teams would not have been satisfied with the significant loss of speed over the course of the season.
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Formula 1 F1 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – December 12th 2020 Kimi Raikkonen of Alfa Romeo during qualification for FIA / handout via REUTERS
Frederic Vasseur, Alfa Romeo Team Principal, spoke about the aftermath of Ferrari’s engine battles. He stated that they were unsure of another deal with Ferrari after the contract expires in 2021.
He said, “We have to go through the books because the next contract should run from 2022 to 2026 because of the new cars. You can never tell. It’s like a marriage. Nobody guarantees that you will stay with the same woman forever – like me!
“In a partnership you always have to take into account that there will be ups and downs. So we have to ask ourselves: what is the best deal? So far, Ferrari has been a solid partner for the most part. “
The decision is due to Ferrari’s poor engine performance
Formula 1 F1 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – December 11, 2020 Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel during practice Kamran Jebreili / Pool via REUTERS
Alfa Romeo only scored 8 points this season. They also lost a certain amount of time per lap compared to last season. Meanwhile, Vasseur hinted the decision could be due to Ferrari’s disappointing season.
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To answer the question, he said, “That is your interpretation, but I can’t really disagree with you. Let’s assume that the team slipped 80 percent into crisis because of Ferrari. We certainly lost 0.3 to 0.4 seconds per lap to our rivals. “’
Vasseur also admitted the season was a disastrous one for the Maranello-based team. Alfa Romeo’s decision could have serious financial implications for Ferrari.
The question, however, is whether Haas will follow suit if Alfa Romeo decides to take this step.
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