F1 | Ferrari on the podium in Bahrain: why yes and why not

A few days before the 2021 world championship is ready to go with doubts, worries and hopes that raise expectations and curiosity. Fortunately, the tests are already behind us, with their endemic indecipherability and the nauseating chatter that they bring with them; the track - the real one, the one that speaks with the stopwatch and that's it - is a fresh breath that sweeps away the lopsided predictions of the incurable optimists or chronic pessimists.

But how will SF21 go? Is it fast, slow, competitive, a disaster? Will Ferrari be able to quickly get back on top and allow the two Carlos, aka Leclerc and Sainz, to at least fight behind the queens of the class, keeping the entire middle class middle class behind them? That is the objective - declared by the drivers, team principal Mattia Binotto and sporting director Laurent Mekies - after all.

Encouraged by a power unit that is a big step forward compared to the strangled (and in fact "penalized") one of 2020, Ferrari is expected to make a big leap in quality, to the point of fighting for the podium, which should be the objective minimum when you take to the track with a red single-seater with the effigy of the Prancing Horse. But can Ferrari get on the podium in Sakhir? Yes and no, let's see why.

Because the podium is possible. According to those who rode with the Red in the tests, Maranello hid well, not revealing its potential. For some, the SF21 is an evolution of the SF1000 but in reality it is much more. The single-seater aims to recover the aerodynamic efficiency and stability of the underrated SF90, the rear end has been revised, the work on the aerodynamics has been surgical and painstaking, and the engine has returned to being powerful, perhaps more than what Ferrari did glimpsed in the tests, given that for many hours the pilots even avoided putting eighth gear.

In his race simulations, Leclerc gave the idea of ​​walking with his arm out the window, slowing down noticeably in the engine sections. Sainz showed something more on the last day, with a much faster stint than the previous ones, a sign that the Red has performance to spare, kept under wraps. Just by observing the parable of the Spaniard at the wheel of the SF21 we can be allowed to dream: on the first day Carlos had set-up problems and his driving was nervous, while on Sunday he drove cleanly. It means that the Red responds to the adjustments and gave positive feedback to a driver who was driving it for the first time. A clue that gives rise to hope.

In summary: a powerful power unit and an overall improved car should allow Ferrari to leave behind the disastrous 2020 and make an unexpected leap in quality, immediately placing it back where it belongs, i.e. among the big ones. Perhaps wonderful, because we are still talking about the only team capable of competing for the world championship with Mercedes in the hybrid era. And some rivals have already indicated the Red as the surprise of the world championship.

Because the podium is unlikely. After all, the SF21 is still an evolution of the heavy and boxy SF1000. A few more horsepower, although it will push the single-seater on the straight, will not allow it to regain its lost efficiency and counteract much more ready and balanced cars. The McLaren-Mercedes has superior aerodynamic refinement and a power unit of another level. Closing the gap with Woking based on a mere improvement is a rather far-fetched hypothesis.

Furthermore, the Aston Martin of the great former Vettel is a Mercedes painted green, which at least on paper should express absolute values, in terms of efficiency, stability and power, superior to the SF21. And in the tests Ferrari did not seem like a lightning strike, proving to be slightly faster than Alfa Romeo and AlphaTauri in the race simulations of Leclerc and Sainz. A team fighting for the podium would have left the little Sauber behind on the track, while Ferrari seemed to suffer from tire degradation and a pace that was at times inconsistent. Maranello's target is to get to Q3 and fight for points with Alpine, perhaps its closest rival.

The conclusions. It can therefore be seen in two different ways, evaluating in an antithetical way the clues that were provided to us in the pre-season tests. Hoping that the optimism of will overcomes the pessimism of reason and that Maranello can - as it has done other times in its very long history - rise like a phoenix from one year to the next. After all, recovering quickly is one of the trademarks of a team that after terrible years has almost always come back suddenly, surprising everyone. Will it be like this this time too?

Antonino Rendina

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