Mattia Binotto challenges Ferrari to 'react' to new F1 era

Binotto at pre-season testing — Photo: © LAT Images

Ferrari

Binotto challenges Ferrari to 'react' to new F1 era

Ferrari has gone two seasons without a race win

Ian Parkes & Sam Hall

Wednesday 12 January 2022 18:15

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Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has explained why the "reaction" to F1's new regulations will be "key" as to whether the team can return to its winning ways in the sport.

The Scuderia has been without a race win since Sebastian Vettel secured the final victory of his Ferrari career at the Singapore Grand Prix of 2019.

The second winless season in succession marks the first time since 1992-93 the manufacturer has gone back to back years without success, although optimism returned with two pole positions last year.

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Speaking in a post-season media briefing including GPFans, Binotto explained: "What will be important for us is to keep on growing, no doubt, and to further reduce the gap to the competitors.

"I think the new regulations are a clear opportunity and the hope is to be competitive and, for me, to be competitive means being in a position to win races.

"Would that mean that we can fight for a championship? I think if I look at today, the gap is still big, but I think that certainly, as Ferrari, it's part of our DNA.

"What is important is certainly to be capable of fighting at least in races for the pole positions and for the win."

Ferrari endured its worst season since 1980 two years ago but bounced back well last year, beating McLaren in the 'fight for third' to finish behind only title rivals Red Bull and Mercedes.

"A deficit, again, is the simple consequence of continuous growing and improvement, and so I would be disappointed if we have not improved compared to this year," added Binotto.

"For me, not improving means, again, being back having a competitive car.

"It may be that [at] the start of the season, there will be a difference in competitiveness between the cars because of the way that each team may have interpreted the rules and solutions that you may bring.

"Again, here what I think will be important as Ferrari is being capable of understanding weaknesses and addressing them very quick.

"So it's a team reaction which will be key because I think it will be wrong. I said we cannot be confident to have a competitive car in the very start because you never know what may be when you've got such a big change."