[ad_1]
Ferrari believes that the potential of its 2019 Formula 1 car is "certainly greater" than it had shown at the Australian Grand Prix, which is to become an "exception" this season.
Sebastian Vettel beat the pre-season tests in Barcelona and Ferrari was considered an advantage for the opening race of the season, but he failed to get on the podium while Mercedes dominated and that Red Bull was taking in advance.
Both Ferrari drivers complained that the balance they had achieved during the tests was not the same in Melbourne, which led Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff, to suggest that the rival of his team just did not have the right setting.
Asked if Wolff's comment was correct and if the different nature of the Albert Park circuit played a role, Ferrari team manager Mattia Binotto said: "The conditions [in Melbourne] are certainly different from Barcelona: smooth to bumpy, much windier too, different, temperatures and higher weather conditions.
"There are certainly external factors that may have affected or influenced the performance of our car.
"But as Toto said, apparently, he knew it very well, we did not find the right window – if we can call it a window – nor the good balance of the car.
"It's something we have to try to understand.
"One thing is certain for this day and this weekend, it is not the real potential of our car.
"We are almost certain that the potential is certainly greater and we have not been able to exploit it throughout the weekend."
Ferrari tried different set-up ideas, from Friday practice to qualifying, but failed to find the breakthrough sought.
Binotto said that it was "certainly unexpected" and that Ferrari had to quickly find a reason to make sure that its collapse was only punctual.
"You always hope to resolve and improve the situation throughout the weekend when you have problems with balance and organization," he said. "It has not happened.
"We have to bring all the data home and try to analyze it.
"It must remain an exception all season long.
"But I think it will be a good lesson learned.
"If we can identify where the problem was, we can be even stronger."
Vettel and his teammate Charles Leclerc agreed with their team leader that there was enough to be confident for the next Grand Prix in Bahrain.
"We have all the tools, all the ingredients," said Vettel. "We have a good car, we know it.
"This weekend we did not do it and overall we were not competitive enough, but we will come back."
Leclerc, new Ferrari driver, added: "It's not as if we had arrived with a car very different from the tests.
"In the past, we often saw that it was a strange track in Australia and that it was not always very representative of the actual performance of all cars.
"I am confident we will be able to come back."
[ad_2]
Source link