Very interesting interview from Binotto ( In Italian) and finally some hopes for tifosi next year. The next Ferrari power unit is absolutely new even in terms of architecture. A brave move ( his own words). Forza Ferrari! https://www.formulapassion.it/motorsport/formula-1/f1-team/mattia-binotto-anticipa-motore-ferrari-2022-completamente-nuovo-obiettivi-spirito-squadra-583925.html
Eventually our year will come and hopefully it will be 2022 that will be the start of Ferrari's ascendency. Forza Ferrari
My prediction is that SF will struggle next year and beyond (hope i am wrong) as they [possibly] havent got or invested in technology with ground effect cars. It will be a steep learning curve for them and are behind the race to the front of the grid, unless they buy in the expertise. Who do they poach? Take Mercedes involvement in Formulae E, the cars are basically ground effect cars, they have participated in the series for a number of years and gained critical data and design evolution/s for use on the 2022 cars and moreover escaped the budget limitations handicapping the other F1 teams. I now see they have pulled the plug on Formulae E for 2022, theres a surprise - coincidence? Well designed and planned in my opinion, its served it purpose.
The Formula E cars are designed by Spark, and their aero is quite restrained compared to next year´s F1. Also the tracks, tyres... everything is completely different. So I don´t think they could have learned much.
That interview is pretty much in line what I read earlier in the Spring; Binotto is pretty much convinced that the new Ferrari engine is going to be atleast on par with everyone else (he has hopes that it could be the number 1 engine in 2022). And with their new state of the art simulator now in good use, there shouln't be much correlation problems.
From funoanalisitecnica.com ( usually reliable): New Ferrari simulator is operational for a week now and showing already promising results for the 2022 car. This spread optimism within the whole Scuderia ( including Charles) https://www.funoanalisitecnica.com/2021/09/f1-italia-leclerc-ferrari.html
This talks about the new hybrid portion of the PU that will be introduced with PU #4, likely in Turkey, and which should give a sizeable power boost and good in-race development testing ahead of its use in 2022. Tweet— Twitter API (@user) date
Ferrari now says LeClerc will use the new PU this weekend in Russia, along with the grid drop, but hopefully we will see an increase in performance starting now, just a preview of next year.
I've never understood this stupid rule at all..with Max taking an engine change, if things don't go well from here, this could be the whole point of his WDC challenge.
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/ferrari-never-compromised-2022-f1-car-in-fight-for-third/6818739/ Ferrari "never compromised" 2022 F1 car in fight for third By: Pablo Elizalde Co-author: Christian Nimmervoll Nov 25, 2021, 6:53 AM Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto says the Italian squad "never compromised" the development of its 2022 Formula 1 car in order to secure third place in this year's constructors' championship. The Maranello outfit has been embroiled in a season-long battle for third with McLaren, but has pulled ahead of its British rival in the latter part of the campaign, especially thanks to the results in the last three races. Ferrari is 39.5 points ahead of McLaren with just two races remaining after the Woking team managed to score just four points in the latest triple-header in Mexico, Brazil and Qatar. But despite the progress made by Ferrari - which finished sixth in the standings last year with less than half the points it has scored in 2021 - Binotto insists the focus has been on developing its 2022 car for the introduction of new regulations. "We never really developed the current car," said Binotto. "We introduced a couple of developments at the very start of the season and that's it. "Except for the power unit later on but the power unit, again that was a development in view of 2022, so all our efforts from the very start of the season has always been the 2022 car, we never compromised it. "So let's say that it never came into our mind even to at some stage try to penalise 2022 at the benefit of 2021. "We knew that we could have fight for the third place at the start of this season, we knew it could have been very tight but we knew that our main objective in 2021 was not third place but to try to improve in all the details as a team and third place has simply been an output of it. "I think if today we are reaching third place it's because the team, the way they are working at various weekends has certainly improved a lot since the start of the season and not because the car itself has developed," he added. Image Unavailable, Please Login Carlos Sainz Jr., Ferrari SF21, battles with Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB16B Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Binotto reckons that several factors outside of car and engine development have contributed to Ferrari taking a leap forward this season. "I think the race team since the start of the season has made a lot of progress," he said. "It has made a lot of progress in terms of strategy, the way we manage, the communication with the drivers, the understanding of what we are doing. It has improved a lot in terms of tyre management. "I think that the team since Paul Ricard developed a lot of small tools, methodologies to try to do it better. He added: "If I look at where we were last year, sixth, with little points in the championship, I think we made the most of we could do with the current regulations and most of the car had also very limited opportunities of development as well about the car in 2021. "So overall, I think that the team has made great progress with what was possible to do, and for that I am so happy because yes, the third position is a great output of the efforts."
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/what-ferrari-still-needs-to-improve-to-get-back-to-f1-title-contention/6839613/ This from Autosport, though you may need to be a subscriber to read it
Nobody said they were happy with third. They knew going in to 2021 that they weren’t able to close the gap to the leaders (from 6th as mentioned) due to the token system and so set to improve from their 2020 lows which they have done pretty well. They’ve not developed the car all year except for introducing the new hybrid system in advance of 2022 and that showed good promise. Pretty sure Ron Dennis would not be happy with McLaren 4th and Frank Williams would not be happy with his team 9th. Just like Ferrari will not settle for 3rd next year.
Binotto seems to be pretty satisfied.....going from not very good to not quite as bad. It seems to have become the standard season-end assessment.