Struck performance Ferrari again raise questions about legality 2019 engine

Of the Ferrari that was lightning fast in 2019 is now barely anything left. Already during the winter tests, the SF1000 was lagging behind and this was painfully confirmed during the first two races of the season. It remains to be seen whether Ferrari will have trouble coming along for the whole season, but at the top most of the races there is no solution for the time being and it doesn't look like they will have a solution soon either.

Few development opportunities

Because of the coronary pandemic, Formula 1 has adjusted a number of rules in consultation with the teams. For example, until the end of this year it is not allowed to develop the internal combustion engine, the turbocharger and the MGU-H. Also the petrol and oil specifications are on hold and these are just the crucial parts where a lot of profit can be made.

This puts Ferrari in a very difficult position, Auto, Motor und Sport writes. What are allowed to develop are the MGU-K, the battery and the power electronics, but that is exactly what Ferrari doesn't excel in. In other words: they will undoubtedly make progress in this, but not as effectively as some other teams do.

Other aspects of the car, including large parts of the chassis, have also been frozen in terms of development, so Ferrari has very little room for improvement. This is true for all teams, of course, but the problem for Ferrari is that they are lagging far behind the top teams. Making up for that by further developing the car is extremely difficult under the current regulations.

No illegal engine

The question raised by AMuS in relation to the current situation is very interesting. Mattia Binotto, team boss of Ferrari, has indicated that according to the regulations the engine was simply legal in 2019. Nevertheless, in agreement with the FIA, they have had to make some adjustments, which are secret. This is remarkable, because the situation is now that Ferrari has made a new engine.

This engine has been in development during the winter break and is clearly not good enough. But why would Ferrari build a new engine if the strong engine of 2019 was legal? It is then more logical to continue building on that basis, because the power source is competitive enough by nature. By doing so, Ferrari indirectly confesses, according to AMuS, that the base was already not in order and that expansion would never be approved. This because it would be against the rules.

No improvements

It is also striking that Ferrari has not made any major improvements since the winter tests. Not even between the cancelled first race and the start of the season in Austria, where Honda and Mercedes did. According to AMuS this leads to two possible conclusions. The time span was too short to implement significant developments or Ferrari's engineers don't know how to solve the problem.

That solution was not available in the winter, because otherwise Ferrari would have vetoed the development stop of the engines. In the end AMuS argues that Ferrari had been engaged in tampering with the combustion for a long time and is now running into the bulb, because they do not have a good way to get to the top in a "legal" way.

This creates the situation that Ferrari - due to the restriction on developments - will be a bit stuck in the near future. They can certainly develop, but the steps they need to get closer to the top, they can't make them. Nevertheless, it all continues to speculate, including by AMuS, and it is to be hoped that one day the secret deal between Ferrari and the FIA will come out. That would create a lot of clarity.