Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and team-mate Sebastian Vettel finished the 2019 Formula 1 season in fourth and fifth place in the championship on 264 and 240 points. Both drivers successfully won several races in the second half but were unable to win the world championship.
Speaking following the pre-season testing, Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto admitted they needed a fast enough car to win the championship in last season.
“It’s true that we could have won more races, but to win the championship we needed a faster and more reliable car. We didn’t have any of that, but we’re not that far away. We still need to close the gap, and I think it is possible,” Binotto said.
“We lacked aerodynamic load and it is the reference in Formula 1 today. We had an efficient car, but that was obviously not enough,
“We still don’t understand what happened between the winter tests and Melbourne. We have moved backwards and the others have improved. Then we found more aerodynamic support step by step. That was the secret.” Binotto added.
Ferrari’s performance in Singapore caught many by surprise. With the faster cars, they finished first and second at the end of the race at Marina Bay Circuit.
“The Singapore package was the most important, but not the only, component. In addition, there is a better understanding of the balance of our car. Singapore provided us with the additional support load that was important to improve speeds in the corners.” says Binotto.
“After that, we didn’t have the fastest car, and that was very clear in the race. Our straight line advantage was reduced, but we were able to reduce our disadvantage in the corners from half a second to two tenths.
“On a single lap in qualifying the extra grip of the new tyres covered the aerodynamic deficits, but it was paid for on Sunday with more tyre wear. Our goal should be to have the fastest car in the race.” Binotto added.
Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will play host to both of the three-day tests, taking place on February 19 to 21, and 26 to 28.
