Ferrari confirm how much slower 2019 F1 cars will be

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has confirmed that Formula 1 cars are likely to start the 2019 campaign more than a second-per-lap slower than their 2019 predecessors as a result of aerodynamic rule changes brought in for the new season in an attempt to boost overtaking.

Simplified front wings and other aerodynamic tweaks have been introduced, in the hope that cars will be able to follow each other closer due to the reduction in turbulence created.

The knock-on effect will also be slower lap times, but Binotto – who moved from the Scuderia's chief technical officer to replace Maurizio Arrivabene – says the race is already on for teams to make back as much of that time as possible.

"We predicted an impact of 1.5s per lap when we [first tested] in the windtunnel and it's what we got," said Binotto.

Celebrating 90 years of the Scuderia#essereFerrari #SF90 pic.twitter.com/ehMfhL9dPf — Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) February 16, 2019

"So these cars are heavier compared to last year, and the aerodynamics, especially the front wing, has been simplified a lot.

"The expectation has been 1.5s and that has been [proven].

"So now it is how much we recover of the 1.5s during the entire period of development.

"How much the others recovered, only the track can tell."

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