F1 | Ferrari showed 'zero compromise for 2022' despite season long battle with McLaren
Scuderia Ferrari's sporting director Laurent Mekies has stated that the team did not give any thought to extending the SF21’s development despite being in such a close battle with McLaren.
Scuderia Ferrari’s sporting director Laurent Mekies has revealed that the minds behind the might of the Prancing Horse never considered extending the development cycle for their 2021 challenger – the SF21. Despite the fact that the Maranello based manufacturer was in a season long battle with McLaren, Mekies has stated that the team felt there could be ‘zero compromise’ on the focus required for 2022 due to the new technical regulations.
Away from the drama of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team versus Red Bull Racing there was an equally intriguing tussle for P3 in the 2021 Constructors’ Championship. In the papaya corner was McLaren full of confidence following a P3 placing in the final 2020 Constructors’ standings. Meanwhile, in the red corner was Scuderia Ferrari still somewhat licking their wounds after some well documented engine controversies in the run up to 2020 which concluded with a lowly P6 in the running.
However, with the might of Charles Leclerc finding himself outshone by new teammate Carlos Sainz – Ferrari were a force to be reckoned with in 2021. To every neutral’s great joy (as well as the Tifosi), the team enjoyed a season-long battle with McLaren for P3 in the constructors’ standings. So fierce was this battle that it was only concluded, in Ferrari’s favour, at the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi.
During the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend at a select media roundtable (as reported by Motorsport.com) P3 in the Constructors' Championship would be a position which would bring with it many millions in prize money. Therefore, the question was posed to Ferrari sporting director Laurent Mekies as to whether the team gave any thought to extending the SF21’s development due to being in such a duel with McLaren.
“The answer is no.” Mekies said. “I think we made very clear from very early on, we took the decision to switch to 2022.”
“We were hoping at the time, because we are quite distant from McLaren, which is early on in the season, we were hoping that we would be able to fight eventually for the third place. But we had chosen to make zero compromise for 2022. So that’s probably the most clean answer I can give you today.”
What followed next in Mekies’ remarks was an indication that such a question had been posed once or twice previously.
“We have been asked that 25 times, and no way. The only development we had in the second half of the year was the hybrid, which again is something we’ll use for next year.”
The hybrid referred to by Mekies was first introduced by Ferrari at the Russian Grand Prix this past September. For a team that has stumbled in a grey area of legality with engines in recent years, this hybrid represented a significant change in Ferrari’s power unit design and has more than likely made teams wary of those in red in 2022. Although, the impact was underplayed by Mekies when speaking to the media.
“Nothing that you could say was a game changer…But if you reflect on it, the gaps are so small, and we often look back and say well, if you didn’t have it, these few hundredths or tenths would have put you X backwards,” Mekies said.
“I think because the field is so [tight] we felt the effect it gave us in the second part of the season, or in the third part of the season, was more significant perhaps.
“The other aspect is, as I’m sure you recall, we were so exposed in overtaking situations that it was at some stages making the absolute pace of the car a bit less relevant, because we were then so exposed on the battle that once you have fallen back, that’s it. So that small help in that in the end also helped us to better exploit some of the potential of the car.”
And exploit it is certainly what Ferrari achieved after finishing the season comfortably in P3 and a staggering 48.5 points clear of McLaren in the final standings. For a battle that had been so close all season long reminds us of the fine margins in the sport and how quickly things can change.
Change is certainly what has been seen in the performance of Scuderia Ferrari.
Having ended 2020 with a paltry 131 points, Scuderia Ferrari more than doubled that this past year and confidence is rightly high having chalked up 323.5 points on the board this year. However, the team expects more, the fans expect more and certainly the drivers (with the right car) are capable of more.
Time will tell as to how beneficial it was for Scuderia Ferrari to focus on 2022 and the new technical regulations. Nevertheless, I would not be surprised to see the Prancing Horse cantering back towards the front of the pack in the near future and that should be welcome news for any fan of F1.
