Serving an FIA sentence for using “illegal engines”? Or a step in the wrong direction in terms of engine development? Whatever the reason, Ferrari saw an exponential drop in performance in its class-leading power units from 2019 through the 2020 F1 season. This was the main reason for the drop in shape over the past year.
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However, the good news from Ferrari’s off-season camp is that they’ve managed to regain most of their strength. Much has been said about a new dyno motor.
With pre-season testing in full swing, can the drivers see any significant change in performance?
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BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN: Charles Leclerc from Monaco drives the (16) Scuderia Ferrari SF1000 during practice on the track before the F1 Grand Prix of Sakhir at the Bahrain International Circuit in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Giuseppe Cacace – Pool / Getty Images)
“It’s impossible to compare to anything we ran last year or under other conditions,” said Kimi Raikkonen after the first day of pre-season testing in Bahrain.
The Alfa Romeo driver is of course the only driver who has driven all Ferrari engines of the turbo-hybrid era. So he’s in the best position to make a comparison. If we are to believe his words, there may not be much difference from last season: “If you’re sure to add 100 horsepower, you can say that.”
However, he believes they took a step forward. Admitting that rivals like Mercedes and Honda may not be stagnant either, he said, “I’m sure it’s better. But I’m also sure that the others didn’t just stay the same as they did last year.
“So we have to wait and see where we are in the race. But I am sure it is an improvement (compared to last year). “
How has Ferrari done in the pre-season tests so far?
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The first red flag of the winter tests belonged to the Italian outfit. Charles Leclerc’s SF21 stalled in Sakhir due to a technical or mechanical failure. You have not confirmed whether the problem is a power supply failure.
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – AUGUST 4: Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and France during the Hungarian F1 Grand Prix at Hungaroring on August 4, 2019 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Peter J Fox / Getty Images)
On the other hand, the newcomer Carlos Sainz had no problems in the evening event. They put together a total of 115 test rounds for the team.
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The post Kimi Raikkonen is optimistic that the Ferrari F1 engine will be a “step forward” in 2021 first appeared on monter-une-startup.
