Ferrari - What the Scuderia lost by focusing on new "weaponry"

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has revealed how focusing on the 2022 "weaponry" affected the team last year.

The Scuderia defeated McLaren in the battle for third in 2021 despite making an early dedication towards F1's new regulations being introduced this year, meaning resources that would usually have been used for in-season development were instead directed to the new car.

Asked how much the lack of development translated into a loss of performance, Binotto told a post-season media briefing: "If I look at the last years, or if I look at the gap between us and Mercedes, how much it increased, I would say the average is 0.5 seconds.

"I see that if you are fully convinced or you are putting significant effort and resources to our usage on development, 0.5 seconds is what you may achieve.

"Now, we said our priority was to develop the 2022 weaponry because of the budget cap. Obviously, we've got limited resources, but an unlimited cap. We had, as well, limited capital in the past, which was higher.

"But for us, knowing that in 2021 we were coming from 2020 and we could not have reached the best, for us, it was important even to focus on what has been done in the future and trying to continuously create solid foundations for the future. That's because of our choice."

Binotto was also questioned on the effect of a number of executives leaving in a restructure at the end of the last season, with the Italian insisting: "There will be no impact on the Scuderia, and there will be no more responsibility for myself.

"The new organisations with Ferrari overall, we reorganised but no impact for us."

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