Ferrari Formula 1 boss, Mattia Binotto, was hesitant to comment on the recent gains by the team. He excused himself to quantify the gains but believes the upgraded F1 power plant helped gain “a step” in performance.
Ferrari team unveiled a new and upgraded hybrid system for power gains. They introduced the system on Charles Leclerc’s car at the Russian GP in Sochi Autodrom.
The new power unit provided an additional little less than 10bhp. However, the team was open about its purpose and had worked for the next season.
Leclerc loved the new update which helped him fight through the field in Sochi. He recovered to third from his engine grid penalty. But unfortunately, rain affected him and dropped back to 15th because of staying out too long on the slicks.
Binotto, Ferrari team principal, declined to comment on the how much time the team had gained. He insisted that upgraded was not about Sochi but rather it belongs to the future planning.
“No, I don’t want to quantify it,” Binotto said when asked about the time gained.
“I think that is a fact of our confidentiality.
“It is a step in terms of performance, but as Charles and Laurent [Mekies] said already, more importantly for us, certainly it has pushed forward as much as we could with that new technology.
“It will certainly helped in the view of 2022 in terms of the experience we can do.
“But I’m happy now that Charles has got it and got it for the rest of the season, which still is a step.”
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Ferrari F1 team also plans to provide Carlos Sainz Jr. with an additional engine upgrade in one of the remaining seven races. But he will also have to a face a grid penalty for the new unit.
Laurent Mekies, Ferrari Sporting Director, showed his content with the team’s work on the power unit. It has showed potential but team is not expecting a game changer for the time.
The upgraded power unit will not put Ferrari in spotlight. But it will take the heads on McLaren for third position on constructors championship with 17.5 points gap.
