The Maranello-based team recovered from a terrible 2020 campaign and finished third in the Constructors’ Championship that year.
And with the rules being reset for 2022, the team is hoping the opportunity presented at the dawn of the new era can give them a chance to get back on the road to victory.
Looking forward to next season from Maranello, team principal Mattia Binotto said new processes – including being open to adopting other ideas – have resulted in Ferrari pushing the envelope with its new challenger.
“When I look at the 2022 car and the 2022 powerplant, believe me, there is a lot of innovation in there,” he said. “I think the entire engineering team has certainly been more open than before to the new design, project and regulations for 2022, which were a huge discontinuity.
“I can measure it myself by looking at the car myself, how it is developing, and certainly by the amount of innovation we have put into it.”
Carlos Sainz Jr., Ferrari SF90 Mule
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
When asked by Motorsport.com what innovations to expect, Binotto said the focus was on the internal combustion engine and less visible components of the chassis.
“The unit differs significantly from the current one, with the exception of the hybrid,” he said. “We introduced it for the hybrid in 2021 because we expected the rules from 2022.
“There will be some changes to the hybrid system for 2022, initially for the regulations, as more sensors from the FIA are needed in all systems for better police work. But the overall system is very similar to what we have and what we rode at the end of the season.
“But the rest, especially with the internal combustion engine, I have to say, is clearly different. We have a new fuel, namely 10 percent ethanol, which somehow has changed the way it burns a lot. We’re all losing around 20 horsepower, which means the combustion itself has changed quite a bit. So there were many possibilities in the development of the unit and we changed it quite a bit. “
Regarding the chassis, Binotto added, “I think we were really open-minded about the exercise. And if you look at the vehicle concept, what was possible or not, it’s not just the external shapes, but everything that could have been done under the body in terms of layout, chassis design and overall architecture, including the unit and its own Architecture.
“I think the team has produced significant innovations and the overall design that we are finalizing now is very different from the 2021 project.”
