Formula 1

Further upgrades in the pipeline for Ferrari

2 Mins read
World © Octane Photographic Ltd. Scuderia Ferrari SF16-H – Sebastian Vettel ahead of Mercedes AMG Petronas W07 Hybrid – Lewis Hamilton on lap 2. Sunday 12th June 2016, F1 Canadian GP Race, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada. Digital Ref :1592LB1D3477

Despite their best efforts, a race win has still not been forthcoming for the Scuderia Ferrari team in 2016, however Team Boss Maurizio Arrivabene believes all that is about to change, making it clear that they have far from given up on winning the title.

The Italian is confident that the potential is there, not only in the SF16-H, but also in the Maranello based squads two drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, who are perfectly capable of taking the fight to the current leaders and closing down the gap that has so far been eked out. The current margin to Mercedes AMG PETRONAS in the constructor’s championship is 81 points, but a retirement or two for the German squad, who have in Lewis Hamilton at least experienced their fair share of technical issues so far this season, could see the deficit drop in no time at all.

The Ferrari Team Principal knows however that they cannot just rely on luck alone, and that they must continue to develop and progress at a fast enough rate, in order to help them achieve their goal. The red teams focus is firmly fixed on catching arch rivals Mercedes before the season is out, with updates and upgrades being worked on all hours of the day and night to allow crucial gains to be made, according to Arrivabene when he spoke to motorsport.com recently.

“I won’t tell you the exact dates, but I can tell you that are engineers do not sleep.

“Some surprises will come – because our chassis engineers are sleeping even less.”

The 59-year-old believes that the continuing battle between silver arrows team-mates Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, will end in tears at some point for the German squad, leaving the door open for Vettel to snatch victory, and allowing the Ferrari man to inch ever closer in the points table. As the Mercedes drivers begin to take points away from one another by fighting amongst themselves, the Italian is pinning his hopes on the four-time world champion, who is 45 points back on current leader Rosberg in the drivers championship, but only 21 points away from Hamilton in second place, taking the advantage when it falls to him.

“It is not just a matter of the number of race wins – but about how you can put pressure on those ahead of us.

“We must take into account that Rosberg and Hamilton will take points from each other, because otherwise it would be tough.

“The championship is long and we have had several unfortunate days – while they have had only one bad occasions.

“But if it happens then it is very easy to climb up the points table. We have to believe and have to be positive.

“In Canada we were not far from Mercedes. In Baku, we looked to be in bad shape but then we got on the podium. To me it would be fine to win the title with one win, just as Keke Rosberg did.”

It is true that a solo win can bring the title, as both Mike Hawthorn in 1958 and Keke Rosberg in 1982 have shown, but no one has ever secured the championship without taking at least one victory, so first of all Ferrari must achieve this to realise their hopes.

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