More horsepower from Ferrari not the only thing that can help Alfa Romeo in 2021

Alfa Romeo showed their new car for 2021 on Monday. The C41 looks quite different despite the restrictions imposed on the teams by the FIA. Especially at the front, compared to the new cars from McLaren and AlphaTauri, many adjustments have been made. But what can really help Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi find their way back to the front?

The easiest and most obvious answer is more power. In 2020, the teams with Ferrari engines suffered greatly from the new FIA guidelines. Due to stricter supervision of fuel rigging, Ferrari fell behind the competition.

Especially Alfa Romeo seemed to suffer from this. In qualifying they were often the slowest team on the grid and only thanks to a good strategy and the driving skills of their drivers were they able to finish above Haas and Williams in the constructors' standings. Team boss Frederic Vasseur said at the presentation of the car that more power from Ferrari automatically means a stronger Alfa Romeo.

In theory Alfa Romeo loses less downforce than the teams ahead of them

There is, however, another way to find your way back into the midfield. The guidelines set by the FIA for 2021 regarding the floor and diffuser could actually help Alfa Romeo. According to calculations, teams lose on average around ten percent of their downforce. In theory, a team like Red Bull Racing would lose more downforce in absolute terms than Alfa Romeo, Haas or Williams.

So there is a chance that the field will come closer together just because of this. Finally, what speaks in favour of Kimi Raikkonen is that the downward pressure is mainly lost towards the rear of the car. In theory, all cars become more agile at the back and steer more positively. This fits exactly with the driving style of Raikkonen, who has always preferred a slightly oversteering car.