Ferrari needs another three or four races to fully understand the “true potential” of its Formula 1 car in 2021, says team boss Mattia Binotto.
The Italian team was encouraged from its start to the 2021 season when it scored two points in Bahrain. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished sixth and eighth, respectively, as Ferrari appears to be bouncing back from its worst F1 season in four decades.
Ferrari believes its SF21 is a significant improvement over its 2020 predecessor, but Binotto insisted it will take a number of races to determine where the team stands in this year’s pecking order.
“I think it’s the gap that we still miss with the top competitors who were still big in the race. So there is still a long way to go [to the podium]”Explained Binotto.
“But it will also depend on track to track. We know we won’t be doing a lot of work on developing this car as we are all focused on the 2022 in terms of design and development at Maranello.
“The drivers start to learn the car, we start to know the limits of the car, and eventually we can address them or improve them.
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“I think the next three or four races will initially show what the real performance and potential of our car is compared to the others. So we will wait for them before we make a judgment.”
Despite the progress Ferrari has made over the last year – including some progress with its brand new powerplant – Binotto accepts that there is still a lot to do to get the team back to where it wants to be.
“I would say we are missing in all areas,” admitted Binotto. “I think we’re still lacking the engine, certainly less than before, so the gap has closed and I think we’re converging.
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“Hopefully by next year, when we have a new unit, we can catch up or have a benchmark for the others. I’m also thinking of the aero – medium and high downforce – I think it’s a whole package again. But now the differences are getting closer and closer.
“It is more important, in my opinion, that we are working in the right direction with the right tools and that will make us stronger in the future.”
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