2021 Ferrari F1 Team

[CjC]

I have to disagree on a couple of points. First, I do think Ferrari brought in some pretty decent development upgrades this year. Remember they were limited with tokens. They chose to upgrade the rear suspension/gearbox, they redesigned the nose, changed the rear diffuser, they changed the rear brake duct inlet, and others I’m surely missing. Also throughout the year they’ve been bringing in floor changes, changes to the cooling outlet, etc. AND they just introduced a completely new hybrid unit. Wasn’t at the beginning of the year, but it’s here in 2021. It’s interesting you mention McLaren, over on their thread I see some of the same comments… how they aren’t bringing upgrades and Ferrari is.

Outside of the hybrid unit, I don’t consider anything they’ve done to be as extensive as McLaren has done with redesigned bargeboards, the new flow conditioners on the nose, new front wing, revamped floor and engine cover, etc.

I’d say Aston, RB, Merc, and McLaren have all brought pretty extensive changes through the season.

That’s not to say Ferrari hasn’t brought any development at all, but its been limited at best, even relative to others this year.

I’d agree on this.
To me Ferrari have brought the least development during the season, Ferrari even said after France that there will be no more chassis upgrades.... then the PU update happened.
I have to totally disagree with Codetower as Mclaren have been quite extensive with their development during the season bringing updates all the way up to Hungary which was the fairly major bargeboard upgrade as JPower suggests

[F1NAC]

It is not always how much you bring, it is also how much is it effective. I wouldn't mind if they spent this season about learning the car characteristics and understanding it's problems. For example France where they went backwards during the race, that didn't happened anymore. They did resolve it in pretty much small space of time. Also we should compare this years cars at the beginning of the season vs end of last season. I think Ferrari did evolve a lot during winter.

[codetower]

You may be correct. Admittedly I haven't been following the other teams' upgrades very closely. I was just referring to some comments I'd seen on the other threads about how their team hasn't brought as many upgrades (or maybe as effective) as Ferrari's. Maybe we'd be a comfortable 3rd now if they'd brought in more upgrades, but I am more aligned with F1NAC in that it's more important how effective your upgrades are. More upgrades doesn't necessarily equate to a faster car.

Don't get me wrong, I wish they would bring upgrades every week, and that they would all be game-changers, but not if it takes away from 2022. I still don't think any amount of upgrades would have us challenging for #1 in the WCC. I think 3rd was always the highest we could achieve this year, and I believe that with the stuff they've brought so far, it's a realistic chance to get there.

[Andres125sx]

Who cares about 2021?

It´s being better than expected, taking into account past season perfomance at least.

But 2021 is just a transition year, the main thing is 2022 when any team can win the title, at least any top team.

I sincerely think they should have stopped investing a single cent in this season a while back, any resource invested in this season is decreasing the title chances for 2022

[F1NAC]

Who cares about 2021?

It´s being better than expected, taking into account past season perfomance at least.

But 2021 is just a transition year, the main thing is 2022 when any team can win the title, at least any top team.

I sincerely think they should have stopped investing a single cent in this season a while back, any resource invested in this season is decreasing the title chances for 2022

Well everything they're doing now and at this stage related to sf21 is aimed also for 2022.

Plus those constant runs in Fiorano with SF71H

[JPBD1990]

Who cares about 2021?

It´s being better than expected, taking into account past season perfomance at least.

But 2021 is just a transition year, the main thing is 2022 when any team can win the title, at least any top team.

I sincerely think they should have stopped investing a single cent in this season a while back, any resource invested in this season is decreasing the title chances for 2022

I agree with this view. I’m not concerned with 2021. It’s a write off. It always was. Every single person inside Ferrari knows that better than us too. I’m happy to see the great team work happening this year, Charles and Carlos’ growth, the strategy teams improvements, etc. that’s all fantastic and fills me with hope for next year, but I wouldn’t want anything to be done at the expense of next year.

What’s most important is the overall strategy, in view of 2022, and imo it’s looking bloody brilliant. Bringing the hybrid upgrade now is very smart. We know the 2022 engine was the more ‘innovative/extreme’ of two possible projects being looked at, we know they’re correlating the state of the art sim for next season, they’re running constantly at Fiorano with previous seasons cars (the likes of which I’ve not seen a single other team do).

That’s the stuff that is really impressing me about Ferrari this year. Way more than whether or not they’ll edge out Mclaren for P3. I think they’re doing an awesome job. I think their priorities are right for the first time in a long time, where in the past it’s felt ‘win at all costs’ then fire everyone when they inevitably fail.

The internet seems to hate the guy, but I think most if not all of this can be attributed to Binotto and the team he’s selected. I am a big, big supporter of him and what he’s doing at TP. I hope next year proves me right.

[wowgr8]

What aero upgrades have they fitted to the car this year? They brought the Z floor in Imola then I think there was one more floor change in Portugal? Or Austria I'm not sure, and that was it

I too like Binotto but I'm hesitant to say that I'm confident in Ferrari for next year because frankly we're not as good a team as Mercedes. Part of that will be to do with the whole Italian everything culture, being based in Italy means we don't have access to the best engineers the way the teams based in the UK do. So I'm not totally confident and I think there's a possibility they go in the wrong direction with the 2022 car development, like they did with the SF90 which was a waste of a powerful engine.

What I hope is that the new engine is competitive and within 5hp of Mercedes that would be a big win and a huge achievement considering the giant step Mercedes have taken recently. If the engine is good and the car is at least capable of some wins 2022 will be a good season in my eyes

[codetower]

There have been some pretty decent aero upgrades. This year Ferrari updated the Roll hood, they’ve updated the side-pods, the floor has undergone much more than the z-floor, and it’s evolved throughout the year. The nose was pretty big considering they were limited with tokens… they added the double cape to the nose, those horns on top of the actual nose, and they made big changes to the cape design UNDERNEATH the nose. This was a pretty big upgrade. The rear wing endplate was also modified, the rear diffuser was modified. Again, I haven’t followed the other teams’ upgrades so I don’t know how it compares, but there have been pretty decent upgrades this year compared to recent years.

As far as Mercedes being a better team than Ferrari, how so? In my opinion, they’ve had by far the strongest power unit on track for the last few years, a great #1 driver and a very good #2. I think with this you have more flexibility in the choices you make. This year in particular, I personally don’t see them being a better team than Ferrari. They recovered well after the tyre issues in France, their drivers are getting along great, moral seems to be high within. They’ve been improving week after week, and their focus seems to be well placed.

After early skepticism, I’ve become a huge fan of Binotto. His management style is reminiscent of “The Toyota Way”. I like the way he's reacted to changes, mistakes, the struggles. Mistakes are all learning opportunities... It's all continuous improvement. I’m pretty confident in that we will find success in the years to come.

[JPower]

There have been some pretty decent aero upgrades. This year Ferrari updated the Roll hood, they’ve updated the side-pods, the floor has undergone much more than the z-floor, and it’s evolved throughout the year. The nose was pretty big considering they were limited with tokens… they added the double cape to the nose, those horns on top of the actual nose, and they made big changes to the cape design UNDERNEATH the nose. This was a pretty big upgrade. The rear wing endplate was also modified, the rear diffuser was modified. Again, I haven’t followed the other teams’ upgrades so I don’t know how it compares, but there have been pretty decent upgrades this year compared to recent years.

Usually people refer to upgrades as only things done during the season. The floor is pretty much the only real upgrade the car has had and even then, it was pretty minor in effect. Other than that, everything else was done over the 2020 off season.

[zokipirlo]

They aren't stupid to waste precious windtunnel and simulation time for 2021 car, when they know in advance they have 0% chance to become WCD or WCC.

[MV8]

New Livery?

[JPower]

New Livery?

I'm guessing so. Hopefully its something off the wall like a retro yellow or blue/white livery.

EDIT: Seems like people think its Kimi related(last Ferrari championship won this weekend). The "mumble, mumble" would make sense in that case.

[ScrewCaptain27]

Whatever it is, it will look better than the current livery. A Kimi 2007 tribute would be nice, though the 2018 livery kind of was already.

[jumpingfish]

[jumpingfish]

I have a small feeling that Ferrari is slightly ahead of the rest in terms of the development of their car for 2022. Ofc, I can be wrong According to the media, Leclerc tried the car simulator in July, and Norris - in October, have not heard of other teams yet. Mercedes and Red Bull have tough title fight... It is possible that others are at the same level, but it just doesn't seep into the media.