Ferrari believes it has made up a good part of its straight-line deficit

No car yet but already a little hope for fans. Ferrari officially launched its 2021 season this Friday with a press conference bringing together team principal Mattia Binotto and his drivers Charles Leclerc et Carlos Sainz. 

To see the new SF21, you will have to wait until Wednesday March 10, i.e. 2 days before the start of the winter tests in Bahrain (March 12-14).

The Scuderia has just suffered the worst campaign in its history since the 1980 financial year with a sad 6th place in the Manufacturers' ranking, barely brightened up by three finishes on the podium. The fault lies with an SF1000 which suffered from an anemic top speed. 

The reason for this slump was twofold: engine performance at half mast, the result of a series of FIA technical directives (and the private and secret agreement entered into with the federal body?), and an SF1000 chassis which generated a lot of drag . 

« Our main problem last year was on the straights, it was not just a question of engine power but also aerodynamic drag, confided Binotto from Maranello (Italy). We have worked a lot, both on the propulsion and the aerodynamic characteristics of the car to reduce this drag phenomenon.

Considering the power figures on the engine dyno, and the aero data recorded in the wind tunnel, I think we recovered quite a bit of speed in a straight line. I expect this will no longer be a problem. 

We hope to be competitive but we won't know until Bahrain because we always have to compare our progress to that of the competition. 

We are convinced that our car is more efficient than its predecessor, both in terms of aerodynamics and engine. ». 

In addition to introducing a completely new powertrain, Ferrari invested its 2 development tokens to rework the rear of its car. It is in this area that the majority of the 2021 regulatory changes are located, the main objective of which is to slow down aerodynamic gains so as not to overwork the Pirelli tires. 

• Impossible to predict a hierarchy

If they share their boss's optimism, Sainz and Leclerc affirmed in unison that it is impossible to know where Ferrari will be located in the world hierarchy at the start of the 2021 season. 

« We know what we have accomplished, we know the results given by our simulation tools, as well as the figures for maximum speed, drag, and power., commented the Spaniard, who replaces Sebastian Vettel in Maranello. 

Without competitive figures, it is impossible to predict where we will stand. I am proud and happy with the efforts made by the entire team. I have noticed real progress but as long as we do not know what our rivals have done, there is no certainty ». 

Same story with Leclerc.

« Looks like we've taken a good step forward, confided the Monegasque. It’s promising on paper but we have to see how far the others have progressed. We won't really know until the first race. ».

Winter is always the season of doubt Formula 1.