Ferrari looks a significantly improved outfit this season compared to last season. They are currently in fourth place in the constructors’ championship and, after 14 races, are 13.5 points behind their tough rivals McLaren.
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There is no doubt that the Maranello team improved certain aspects of their car. In addition, they believe their new engine, which could debut next month, could help them in the battle against McLaren. However, a problem with the SF21’s aerodynamics is likely to remain in the eight remaining races.
New Ferrari engine could not solve the problems with the SF21
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Last year the SF1000 delivered some of the worst performances Ferrari has seen in its illustrious F1 history. Although the team managed three podiums, Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc struggled to achieve consistent results throughout the season.
While the Italian outfit was losing strength significantly, one of its biggest flaws was in the design. The SF1000 had a wide nose that affected its ability to generate significant downforce. This meant her car wasn’t performing well in terms of aerodynamics, which hurt her season.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the teams have chosen not to change much with their two development tokens compared to last year. Ferrari decided to work on its transmission and rear suspension, which means the wide nose stayed with this year’s car. In fact, besides Haas and Williams, they’re the only team to keep the big nose while the remaining teams have narrow stakes.
Formula 1 F1 – Italian Grand Prix – Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy – September 11, 2021 Ferraris Carlos Sainz Jr. and Ferraris Charles Leclerc during practice REUTERS / Jennifer Lorenzini
In their home race at Monza, Leclerc and his new team-mate Carlos Sainz struggled to keep up with McLaren. While the British made their performance advantage through their Mercedes engines, the Italians’ broad noses hampered their speed on the straights and worsened their chances.
Although the engine could make them faster, their existing aerodynamic problems seem to weigh on them.
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The Italian team shifted its focus to 2022 during the season
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Despite the battle for third place, Ferrari admitted that its focus is solely on developing next season’s car. With new technical regulations coming into force in 2022, they want to challenge their competition much tougher in the next year.
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Can Ferrari bring back its glory days with a new era of sport slated to begin in 2022? Only time can tell.
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