“Gap with Mercedes is no longer so dramatic”

Ferrari F1 boss Mattia Binotto is pleased with the progress the team has made on its unit compared to the Mercedes engines. With the Italian team’s latest upgrade, Binotto believes the gap between their engine and that of the Mercedes “is no longer so dramatic”.

After Ferrari dropped to sixth place in the 2020 constructors’ championship, Ferrari has improved significantly to battle it out with McLaren for third place in 2021. The improvement in their drive unit is evident when Charles Leclerc at the Monaco and Azerbaijan Grand. the pole positions in a row took award this year.

Ferrari F1 boss is happy about the improvement of the team’s drive unit

Speaking to Autosport after the United States Grand Prix, Ferrari F1 boss Mattia Binotto said: “The [additional] The straight line means that electricity is always available, so you benefit from it both at the beginning of the straight and at the end. So we can quantify that; when I look at this weekend [at Austin], We drive with maximum downforce, but somehow we come close to the speed of the others. Given how the situation was last year, this is certainly a big step forward. We still know that there is a void on the best engine today, but we believe that void is not as dramatic. “

Improving the extra horsepower for the Italian team could help them significantly in the battle to beat McLaren as Charles Leclerc finished fourth in the Circuit of the Americas race for the second straight year last week. In the constructors’ championship, the lead of McLaren F1 (254) over Ferrari F1 (250.5) has been reduced to just 3.5 points.

It’s not, as Binotto also explained how Ferrari F1 performed well on tracks that weren’t best for them. “In general, I think we were significantly faster overall on the lap this weekend. I think on paper it wasn’t a track that obviously suited our car, so I’m happy with the progress I’ve made. ” In the last few races I have certainly seen the help of the Power Unit for both qualifying and the race, and that gives me some confidence for the next races. “The next race will take place in Mexico from November 5th to 7th.