There is optimism and confidence in Ferrari. Mattia Binotto , team manager, analyzed the pre-season tests and recognized that the F1-75 is a car that has been born well both on the chassis side and on the power unit side.
Between the tests in Barcelona and those in Bahrain, Ferrari focused a lot on the correlation between the data they obtained on the track and that from the simulator, aware of the importance that this relationship will have in the face of the delicate development phase of the 2022 season.
Without a doubt, one of the great objectives that the Maranello team had set for this season was to match or surpass the riders who were still ahead, something that they seem to have achieved.
“Keeping in mind that from this year the engines will be frozen until 2025, it was very important to have a power unit at least equal to that of the competition.”
“At the end of last season we had a gap of 20 or 25 hp , so the first objective was to reduce this margin, but at the moment we still don’t know where we are.
“The measurements we take with the GPS system are not super precise, also because, for example, they are influenced by the weight of the car. In qualifying, we know the weight of the rival cars, as well as at the beginning of the race, but during testing this data is not available.”
“Normally we wait 3 or 4 races to draw a conclusion. In the tests we did an exercise with the little we saw, and according to these first analyzes, we believe that we are at the level of the others, not behind, maybe even a little bit ahead. It is not a valid conclusion, but we are pleased to have confirmed the progress seen on the test bench,” he said.
As for the objective of the Scuderia after seeing how the two weeks of pre-season testing went, Mattia Binotto acknowledged that they will not be confirmed with a second place.
“No, our ambition is to compete, we want to be able to fight in all the races and so from the start I’m not satisfied with a second place. I can’t say that it wouldn’t be a satisfactory result either, but I have the ambition to go to all the races to win” .
Happy at Ferrari with their solutions to the porpoising of F1 2022
“This phenomenon occurs due to this new aerodynamic concept that reintroduces ground effect. Could it have been expected? No. We have seen that all the teams have had this problem, nobody had foreseen it or given it importance.”
“Why didn’t it show up in the simulations? In our case, porpoising manifested itself when we exceeded the 250 km/h barrier, while in the wind tunnel we are limited by regulations to 180 km/h.”
“The team was very reactive, in just one day they designed, created, produced and brought a new component to the track, but it was possible because we had already thought what to do in case this problem arose. That is another reason why I feel satisfied with the preparation we have done during the preseason, the team has been able to anticipate and react to problems”.
“It’s still not fully resolved, but for the most part the solutions we tested in Bahrain have worked and also the teams had the opportunity to add a link at the rear, connected to the gearbox, something that wasn’t planned by the regulation, a change that will be voted on by all the teams before the first weekend in Bahrain”, said Mattia Binotto .
Ferrari rules out adopting Mercedes’ solution with its pontoons for F1 2022
“When you start a new project, some of the overall concept like wheelbase, radiator layout and suspension are the first set points. We’ve taken the time to explore all the concepts to find the best performance, and according to our knowledge and letting ourselves be guided by our tests, the one we have chosen is the best”.
“I repeat: the ground effect is the most important part to get aerodynamic performance of these cars, the top part is not decisive. The bottom of the car will have an impact of 80 or 90% on the general performance, the rest will only affect the last tenths”, added the director of the Italian team.
Budget cap and development could make a difference in F1 2022
“The car is not a cause for concern right now, it will be our development capacity compared to that of our rivals that will make the difference in the end. I am not worried, I have full confidence in our team, but there is a new budget limit that It could complicate everything.”
“Now the development capacity is not only a creative challenge, but we have to deal with the spending limit, a restriction that impacts each team differently depending on the type of structure and the interpretation of the rules.”
“It will be a variable to take into account. I have heard Christian Horner say these days that it cannot be that the budget cap is what influences sports results. And I believe that it is true, it would be a shame, we must be sure that we are all competing with the same means”, added Mattia Binotto .
Ferrari hopes to see an increasingly even grid in F1 2022
“I think that the performance between all the teams will be the same sooner rather than later. I think that this regulation is achieving the objectives that it set itself, which is to reduce the differences between the teams at the top and those in the middle zone.”
“Another objective was to make overtaking easier and we have seen in pre-season testing that things seem to have improved, so overall I hope to see more of a show and more teams that may be in a position to win races,” said the Scuderia Ferrari director. .
