F1 | Ferrari, Binotto trusts in the new power unit: "I think we will be competitive again"

The last season was a real ordeal at Ferrari. The latest addition to Maranello, the SF1000, proved to be a truly uncompetitive single-seater with the main critical issues being the lack of power which made the negative difference compared to the competition. In a very negative year, which ended only in sixth place in the Drivers' World Championship, the only smiles were the three podiums obtained by Leclerc and Vettel in Spielberg, Silverstone and Istanbul respectively.

Diverting his thoughts to the new championship, Mattia Binotto has great confidence in the new Cavallino power unit which will no longer be among the worst of the lot.

"It was very difficult for all of us, even for me – declared Binotto, quoted by Formula1.com – It's the worst season since 1980, we finished sixth in the constructors' championship, so it's been a very difficult season, even more difficult than expected."

At Ferrari they had already understood from the first kilometers on the track of the SF1000 that the year would be complicated, but not in the way in which it actually developed: "Last winter we knew that the car ultimately wouldn't perform as we hoped – admitted the TP of the Red team – We realized very quickly during the winter testing that the car wasn't going to be fast enough, but I don't think we're expecting such a difficult season overall, not just from a performance point of view but if we look back at the whole Covid pandemic and all the situations we had to face".

Binotto then, completing his technical analysis, added: “I think we will return to being competitive as a power unit; we won't be the worst on the field. The level of our performance was inadequate to what should be the Ferrari standard. We are very disappointed with it. We feel full responsibility, we feel sorry for the company, obviously we feel sorry for our fans but I'm pretty sure that this year will somehow make us stronger for the future".