Binotto: Ferrari no longer has F1 straightline speed disadvantage

Ferrari has eradicated its previous straightline speed disadvantage for the 2021 Formula 1 season, according to team principal Mattia Binotto.

The Italian outfit’s 2020 campaign was hampered by a significant straightline speed deficit after technical directives over the winter affected how the team could run its power unit.

A lack of power and a particularly draggy SF1000 car resulted in a major downturn in performance and saw Ferrari endure a woeful season as it plummeted to its worst result in F1 for 40 years.

Ferrari has worked hard over the winter to address its two major weaknesses and Binotto revealed the team’s early data from pre-season testing in Bahrain has produced encouraging signs.

“Obviously we know how the engine is running on the dyno,” Binotto said on the final day of testing. “When you fit it in the car what you may have a look at on track is the speed and eventually the relative speed to the others.

“When we were here last year in Bahrain for the race and for qualifying we’ve been very slow here on the straights – we didn’t enter into Q3 and we were very distant from pole.

“Now if I look at the first days I think at least on the straights the speed is alright. It doesn't seem to be such a disadvantage as it was last year.

“We know it’s not only power, it’s the drag of the car as well – as we often said last year – but let me say that both of them contributed in improving our speed on the straights and today we feel it is not anymore a disadvantage.”

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc said he felt the team’s SF21 was showing some “promising signs”, while Kimi Raikkonen - whose Alfa Romeo is powered by Ferrari’s latest engine - said the power unit is “in a better position” compared to 2020.

Binotto said he believes Ferrari has “improved in many areas compared to last season”.

“These were three very busy days of testing,” he added. “One of our priorities was to make the most of the short time available to gain an understanding of the behaviour of the SF21 and we succeeded in doing that.

“I think that every single team will try to optimise the package from now to the start of the season, now they’ve got some more data to analyse. I think the comparisons will only happen in the next couple of days or the next races.”