"We will work to prevent bouncing" - Ferrari detail plans for F1 Miami GP, say major upgrade to come 'a little later'

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has revealed that they aren't planning to bring major upgrades to the 2022 Miami GP, despite lacking outright pace to match Red Bull at Imola.

Binotto said the team would only bring in an upgraded floor to reduce porpoising while optimizing the rest of the package for the new venue.

Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport following the Imola GP, he said:

"We will work on preventing bouncing and on adapting our aerodynamics package for this track, which requires less downforce. The larger upgrade will follow a little later.”

Ferrari were originally supposed to bring the upgraded floor to the Imola GP after it was trialed by Charles Leclerc during the Australian GP weekend. However, fearing that adverse weather could handicap their preparations during the sole Friday practice ahead of qualifying, the team chose not to bring the upgrade.

Following the Barcelona testing, when the F1-75 seemed to be the worst affected from porpoising, Ferrari made changes to their car to reduce its impact. These changes seem to have largely fixed their issues, but crucially without losing them much performance against the competition.

The car still bounces, often violently at high speeds, but quickly settles down under braking, giving drivers plenty of confidence to attack corner apexes.

Meanwhile, Ferrari are also rumored to be bringing an upgraded ERS (Energy Recovery System) to the Miami GP. This is believed to provide a substantial boost in performance while improving reliability.

With Carlos Sainz forced to take a new power unit in Imola following his Australian GP crash, only Charles Leclerc is expected to get the power unit upgrade in Miami.

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Ferrari boss counters accusations that they put too much pressure on Charles Leclerc

Mattia Binotto has dismissed accusations that Ferrari were partly responsible for Charles Leclerc’s costly mistake during the closing stages of the Imola GP.

Pushing hard to catch Sergio Perez's Red Bull, Leclerc lost his car at the Variante Alta Chicane and hit the barriers.

Binotto said the mistake was mostly due to Leclerc’s underestimating the car’s ability to ride the high kerbs. Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, he said:

“The mistake had nothing to do with pressure. Racing drivers are used to driving at the limit. The cars have harder suspension this year. If you get too high on the curb, you can lose the car."

Leclerc was sitting in a solid P3 position before the spin. He could have gone home with an even bigger gap to Max Verstappen in the championship standings had he settled for the position.

His costly spin took him out of the podium position and all the way down to P9 before he managed a recovery drive to salvage P6.