Ferrari question relevance of 2020 Imola data after "significant" regulation changes

Carlos Sainz in actie — Photo: © LAT Images

Ferrari

Ferrari question relevance of 2020 Imola data after "significant" regulation changes

Ferrari scored a double points finish in the Formula 1 season opener

Sam Hall

Wednesday 14 April 2021 18:20

Ferrari racing director Laurent Mekies has claimed the aerodynamic changes between seasons were so significant the team is looking less at data from Imola last year and more at that which was gathered in Bahrain.

In a bid to reduce costs in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, F1 pushed back the dramatic aerodynamic regulation changes by a year to 2022 with teams instructed to run largely unchanged 2020 machinery for a second year.

A token system was introduced to restrict developments but a series of aerodynamic changes were implemented at the request of Pirelli to reduce loads through the tyres.

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The largest change, which appears to have slowed cars with a high rake design more than those running a low rake, was made to the floor.

As a consequence, Ferrari is looking considerably less at the data of just a few months ago and is instead focused on what was learned in Bahrain.

"I think this year there is, in the end, a fairly significant change of regulations," said Mekies. "We have a bit less aerodynamic forces on the car.

"On top of that, the tyres are different so actually we are more looking at what we have done in Bahrain, how we want to improve from Bahrain, how we want to adapt the car that we had in Bahrain to the characteristics of the Imola track in order to get the best preparation.

"That is pretty much the process we are following."

Ferrari finished the opening race of the year with both cars inside the points, something the Scuderia achieved only five times last year.

After moving from McLaren to the Scuderia over the winter, Carlos Sainz conceded he had been "underdriving" his SF21 en route to an eighth position finish in a bid to avoid "stupid mistakes".

Looking ahead to his first experience of racing a Ferrari in Italy, Sainz wrote on social media: "It's my first ever GP in Italy as part of Scuderia Ferrari at such a historical track like Imola.

"Does it get any better than that??"