Will new Ferrari bring joy for the tifosi?

Today marks the final car launch on the 2021 Formula One calendar: the Ferrari SF 21. The latest offering from Maranello carries the hopes and ambitions of an entire nation, certainly the most fanatical manufacturer fan base, known as the tifosi.

All reports so far point to a much-improved car. It can’t be any worse than last year’s SF1000. That car struggled to reach sixth in the constructors’ championship, the worst since 1980 when the Scuderia finished 10th.

Don’t expect miracles But don’t expect a title-winning car out of the box – team chief Mattia Binotto has already played down the team’s chances for this year.

After winter testing in Bahrain – just three days, starting this Friday – we will still be none the wiser. Pre-season testing is notorious for copious sacks full of sand when it comes to performance comparisons. The only aspect of some relevance is the number of laps the cars complete, as it provides a small indication of reliability.

Binotto has been in the limelight in recent days with a number of press releases concerning the company’s future and more disturbingly, his own. Somewhat dubious origins suggested the Scuderia will dispense with his services after the test sessions. With his expertise in performance engineering, I find such a rumour incomprehensible.

Low profile

The Italian engineer has reiterated the fact he will not be seen on the pit wall for every race of the season, with his position, as in 2020, being taken by Laurent Mekies.

He was reported as saying: “I will be there at the beginning when it comes to assessing our performance and ensuring everything goes according to plan on the track. But at some point I will stay in Maranello to concentrate more on the project for 2022.”

The all -new regulation cars for next season will provide a massive challenge for the teams. Hence this year’s cars are carrying over many aspects of last season’s designs with a few relevant upgrades.

Haas has announced it is not investing anything further into the VF-20. The team’s biggest changes appears to be in sponsors the livery, the name VF-21 and of course an new driver line-up.

Le Mans return

Interesting to note, Ferrari has announced its return to Le Mans for 2023 for the world sports car series, to be run as a separate team and not headed by Binotto.

With less than three weeks to the first race in Bahrain on 28 March, the F1 world once again faces a very different season. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, spectators at the track are still an issue, but I believe we could be in for a really epic year.

With exciting new driver combinations and revitalised teams, the chase for the constructors’ crown is going to be the one to watch. Will Mercedes be unseated? Your guess is as good as mine.

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