Binotto calls for patience over Ferrari F1 recovery

Ferrari chief Mattia Binotto says “patience and stability” is required and admits it could take “many years” for the team to return to competitiveness in Formula 1.

The Italian outfit has endured a torrid 2020 season so far having been hampered by a significant drop in engine power over the winter that has also exposed other weaknesses in its SF1000 car.

Ferrari recorded its worst result in a decade at last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps as both Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc finished outside of the points in 13th and 14th.

The Maranello squad subsequently sits fifth in the constructors’ championship and is just two points clear of Renault.

After its latest struggles in Belgium, Binotto warned it could take years for Ferrari to recover from its current slump.

“How long it will take? I think that if you look back at all the winning cycles it is always many years," Binotto said.

"There are no silver bullets in F1. Patience and stability is required.

"The engine is frozen this season, so there is nothing we can do on that. We are developing it for next season, and it is progressing well on the dyno at the moment.

"On the car there are some restrictions, so what's the plan for us? The main plan is focusing on the next seasons - not only 2021 but also certainly as well 2022.

"In order to do well in the next season we also need to try to understand the weaknesses of today and make sure that we are addressing them."

Binotto also ruled out the possibility of being able to use parts from last year’s SF90, adding the car is “not a plug-in-and-play”.

“The car we developed this season is certainly more draggy,” he explained.

“The car is quite different. The car itself it’s not a plug-and-play it’s not something that you take from one and you put on the other so that’s not possible.”