F1 News

Ferrari seeking to improve car for benefit of 2020

Ferrari seeking to improve car for benefit of 2020

20-08-2019 15:11

Bevan Youl

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto insists that they are not giving up on their 2019 car and want to develop it further with an emphasis on aerodynamics to help benefit them for 2020 as the regulations are similar.

The Scuderia have failed to win a race so far this season after looking like they were going to be the team to beat during winter testing in Barcelona, having had chances in Bahrain, Canada and Austria.
 
High downforce tracks, such as Hungary are where the team have really struggled for pace while Mercedes and a recent resurgence from Red Bull have come out on top of Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc.
 
Binotto said (quoted by MotorsportWeek): “First I think we are lacking maximum downforce, and obviously there are circuits where we are not running to the maximum downforce configurations, so in that case it will be different.
 
“Certainly we are seeking more downforce already on this current season.
 
“In the second half of the season we will try and put whatever max downforce we can put on the car and the car next year will require even more.
 
“[But] I don’t think that our only weakness is the maximum downforce. I think it will be unfair as well for the people back at Maranello.
 
“Should we concentrate on next year’s car? I don’t think so. Not only, because having the same regulations next year whatever we can do this year will be a good benefit for next year’s car as well.
 
“There are still many races, no victory for Ferrari, so I think we have a goal and a target and I think we should do whatever we can to finish this season to do our best.”
 
Many expect Ferrari to be highly competitive at Spa Monza with the track suiting them more but Binnoto is wary that Mercedes and Red Bull could also be strong.
 
 
“I think it’s more power-sensitive so we should certainly be more sensitive there but there is nothing that is given,” he added.
 
“I think our competitors are all very strong and we try to challenge ourselves.