5 reasons Ferrari fans are optimistic about the 2021 season

Last season was meant to be when Ferrari really took the fight against Mercedes and pushed them all the way to the world championship. Instead, they rarely fought for a podium and spent the year mired in midfield. There is, however, hope for Ferrari fans that this year will be different …

1. The only way is to

For just the third time in 40 years, Ferrari has finished outside the top four in the Manufacturers’ Championship. The Prancing Horse has a harder time than any other team when they don’t win, as the expectations are high, making it sixth in a campaign that only netted two podiums was unacceptable.

LONG READ: Ferrari on 2020 disappointments – and why they renewed hope for 2021

But Ferrari are arguably the best-resourced team on the grid and so a repeat of this modest sixth is unlikely, especially as Scuderia boss Mattia Binotto said he admitted his mistakes early on. in the 2020 campaign and have since focused on righting those wrongs. coming season.

How much can they improve given that there is so much carryover from last year’s car to this season? Well, all aero surfaces can change and teams are entitled to two development tokens to make adjustments, so 2021 is far from being a copy and past of the previous year. Of course, it won’t be a year when Ferrari can win the championship, but at a minimum they have to meet Binotto’s stated goal of getting back into the top three.

READ MORE: ‘I know my time is not endless,’ says Binotto as he plans Ferrari rebirth after tough 2020

Their average final position in the constructors’ championship for the previous 10 years was 2.6th and looking at their history, a result like last year tends to be a failure, rather than the start of a new trend. . Ferrari hope this will continue to be the case.

2. A brand new power supply is in the works

Ferrari made something of a roller coaster trip with the turbo-hybrid power units, with the Scuderia ushering in the era with solid but not spectacular effort before making their way to the top and becoming the class leader. , to drop dramatically to the bottom of the pile during the winter of 2019-2020 after a wave of technical guidance was issued to all teams.

READ MORE: Ferrari’s all-new 2021 engine with ‘very promising’ dynamism numbers, says Binotto

The numbers on the dynamometer made for a dark reading ahead of the 2020 season. Ferrari knew it was bad, but maybe not as bad as it turned out. Producing less power than not only Mercedes but also Renault and Honda was just not enough given the huge investment.

So it’s no surprise that the Scuderia’s Engine Chiefs put Unit 2020 on the shelf and started with a blank sheet of paper for the upcoming campaign. Binotto says the numbers on the bench are “very promising,” but he is not getting ahead of himself and will wait cautiously to see how he fares when the SF21 hits the track during three days of pre-testing. season in Bahrain.

3. Leclerc is getting better and better

Charles Leclerc failed to cross the 100-point mark in 2020, his final total being only two-fifths of what he had achieved the previous campaign. It wasn’t the second season at Ferrari that the Monegasque had hoped for, having excelled in 2019 with two wins and eight more podiums plus a total of seven poles.

READ MORE: Future leader Leclerc shares ‘winning mentality’ with Michael Schumacher, says Ferrari boss

But while the statistics were disappointing, the campaign was arguably more impressive than any he has had in F1. Facing a car clearly lacking in pace, Leclerc consistently outperformed the SF1000 and comfortably sent his teammate Sebastian Vettel – scoring three times the quadruple world champion’s points across the garage.

Binotto praised the 23-year-old’s growing maturity and described him as a leader, someone who inspires his engineers and team members. It’s an impressive feat considering he only has three years of F1 experience.

Expect Leclerc to launch again this year, bolstered by his growing position in the team and the confidence Ferrari has placed in him with a new long-term deal. He will also look forward to asserting his authority with the arrival of Carlos Sainz this year, in what is Ferrari’s youngest line-up in 50 years.

4. Sainz brings new energy

Change is good, especially when you’re trying to quickly change the direction of a juggernaut, so Sainz’s arrival at the Scuderia is exactly the breath of fresh air that the men and women in red can draw with enthusiasm and momentum.

READ MORE: Sainz hails ‘special moment’ as he completes ‘in-depth’ first test with Ferrari

Sainz made a name for himself with a brilliant two-year stint at McLaren, which earned him two podiums – and almost a first victory at Monza. Perhaps most impressive is his total commitment to embark on a project and fully integrate with his colleagues. Her positivity is contagious.

It might only been a few weeks, but a word inside Ferrari suggests it looks a lot longer, so he’s moved into his new home. His raw pace on Sunday afternoon, combined with Sergio Perez’s ability to get the most out of the car with remarkable consistency, is exactly what Ferrari needs to heal the bruises of the 2020 campaign.

5. Their talent conveyor belt looks healthier than ever.

For many years, Red Bull’s junior program has been hailed as the best of the best, with figures like Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo and of course Max Verstappen enjoying immense success with the factory team – but the offer of Ferrari is now arguably the strongest school of all.

READ MORE: Ferrari uses Haas to assess Schumacher’s promotion potential, says Binotto

Leclerc took the plunge in F1 after winning F3 and F2 respectively on his first attempt, and ended up impressing so much with Sauber that Ferrari abandoned its tradition of leading experienced drivers and stuck him in the car on his second. campaign only. This decision turned out to be a success.

Mick Schumacher, winner of last year’s F2 campaign, followed him in F1 this year with Haas, a Ferrari client team, with Callum Ilott, who finished second behind Schumacher in F2 last year, the driver Scuderia test.

READ MORE: Ferrari test driver Ilott to get FP1 sessions in 2021, says Binotto

With Robert Shwartzman impressive in his F2 rookie campaign to make him one of the favorites for the title this year, the Ferrari Driver Academy pool has never been stronger. It is clear that Ferrari is taking the program seriously, with a big effort to keep the drivers away from the FP1 sessions this year – most likely with a client team – or the old Ferrari F1 cars on their Fiorano track.

With track time in F1 machines at a premium these days, such a schedule is crucial. And while the Ferrari factory team will not reap the rewards of these efforts this year, they are preparing them magnificently for the future.