It has been a while since Ferrari found itself at the front fighting for race wins and championships. With the new technical regulations coming in 2022, however, this could change. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko claimed that while his team has no reason to be threatened by the Prancing Horse in terms of the championship, they still believe that the Scuderia may step up to take a couple of race wins in the upcoming season.
As reported by RacingNews365, Marko commented on his expectations from the change in regulations, saying:
“Hopefully it will be tighter, because in principle — when we’re at full speed — the two of them [Mercedes and Red Bull] will have lapped the field. But I think the balance of power will remain the same. Maybe Ferrari will take another step and win one or two races under its own steam.”
Meanwhile, Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have proven themselves to have the capability to fight for race wins and potentially put up a challenge for the world championship title. The Maranello-based team is anticipated to come up with a real challenger in 2022 that is set to launch on February 17.
"No compromises" - Mattia Binotto describes Ferrari's 2022 approach
Team boss Mattia Binotto recently revealed the team's approach going into the 2022 season. The team shifted its focus to the upcoming season very early on in 2021 and is set to challenge the likes of Red Bull and Mercedes this year.
As reported by GPFans, Binotto commented on the Italian team's approach for the upcoming season, saying:
“Certainly, we had a big budget, maybe not the biggest. But with the financial regulations and the budget cap, we had to cut some of the developments and to cut parts of our organization. When you’ve got a cap, no doubt you need to limit yourselves.”
He further said:
“As Ferrari, as first, we identified 2022 as our top priority, so no compromises have been done in developing the 2022 cars.”
The team significantly picked up in performance in the second half of 2021 and finished the year with a solid third, ahead of their rivals at McLaren. Whether or not the Prancing Horse will return to its glory days this season, only time will tell.