Ferrari are looking for a big improvement after their worst season in Formula 1 since 1980. The Italian manufacturer cannot afford another repeat of their sixth place in the constructors' standings but they face an uphill battle in what is expected to be a tightly-fought midfield in 2021. Carlos Sainz joins Charles Leclerc at the team, making it Ferrari’s youngest driver line-up in 50 years. Many think this driver pairing is one of the best on the grid and it's the biggest positive about Ferrari for the new season.
Sainz out to surprise
Sainz faces a tough challenge against a driver who many believe is a future world champion. He finished sixth in the drivers’ standings in the last two years and impressed many during his time at McLaren. Ferrari is a very different environment and Sainz will have to learn to adapt to the pressure of driving in red. The upcoming season will give us a good idea of Sainz’s talent. He had the upper hand on Lando Norris and ran Max Verstappen close at times with Toro Rosso in 2015. Some of Sainz’s standout performances have gone under the radar. His drives though the field on debut with McLaren in Australia 2019 to finish eighth when he had to start from the back and a similarly brilliant race in Brazil later that year which led to his maiden podium. Last year he came from 15th on the grid in Turkey and Sakhir to finish in fifth. Two great results when the pressure was really on in the battle for third in the constructors’ championship which McLaren eventually won. Sainz played a pivotal role to lead McLaren to their best season since 2012 so he joins Ferrari buoyed on confidence.
Leclerc looks to cause more shocks
Leclerc is still set to be Ferrari’s main man and if he carries on his trajectory of mighty form then expect more heroics in 2021. The former F2 champion has been the best thing about Ferrari in recent times, putting the car on the grid in places it shouldn’t. Mistakes have been made and Leclerc beats himself up over them but it only makes him stronger and closer to becoming the finished package. He is arguably the best driver over one lap, beating Sebastian Vettel 13-4 over 2020 on an average of four tenths of a second. His qualifying lap at Sakhir to record his fifth top-five start of the year was simply outstanding. Tyre management was initially Leclerc’s main weakness against Vettel but he turned things around and is now one of the best over a race distance as he showed at the British and Portuguese Grand Prix. Ferrari have got a near perfect partnership in two fast, young, smart drivers who will push each other to new levels.
What to expect from Ferrari in 2021
Ferrari have the driver quality, it’s now down to the performance of the car which failed to impress in pre-season testing . “[It] is very difficult when you are not performing as you are expecting," Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto told RacingNews365.com and other members of the media. "It's very difficult because, as Scuderia Ferrari, your ambition, the objective is to be the best. But, even if the atmosphere was difficult last year, we've been very united and it would have been easy somehow to fall into a different situation.” The highlight of Ferrari’s Bahrain test was Leclerc’s lap on Sunday morning when temperatures were rising when he went fastest on a 1:30.486 on the C3 medium tyre. To put into perspective, the quickest time of the event was a 1:28.960 by Max Verstappen who used the C4 soft tyre during the final hour of testing. One lap pace is difficult to judge though and it’s the longer runs where Ferrari may worry. Kimi Raikkonen in the Alfa Romeo was able to match Leclerc’s lap times when both drivers completed a race simulation at the same time, on the same tyre compounds.
Ferrari's brand new power unit has brought the team back into play after they were sitting ducks on the straights last year. But they are still set to face a deficit compared to the Honda and Mercedes-powered cars. Nevertheless, Leclerc has been positive in the build-up to his fourth F1 campaign. “We will try to do better than last season, but I'm not expecting any miracles,” said Leclerc. “I think the balance of the car has improved. Overall, the SF21 is easier to drive and handle." Ferrari must finish in the top five of the constructors’ championship as a minimum. There is a lot of pressure to perform, even if they have one eye on 2022 and the new technical regulations. Sainz might cause Leclerc problems but Ferrari are still likely to be battling in the midfield so having two great drivers is more important than any potential fireworks inside the team. If Ferrari were at the front it would be a different story but that is still at least another 12 months away. The target has to be a repeat of edging closer to the head of the midfield and to take the occasional surprise podium or result as Leclerc did last year.
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