Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team principal Mattia Binotto has said that the upcoming British Grand Prix could pose problems for his team.
Ferrari is still searching for its first win of the 2019 season, despite three close misses, and will bring a “small aerodynamic modification” to Silverstone this weekend.
An upturn in performance has greeted the team in recent weeks, with Charles Leclerc looking comfortable in the lead of the Austrian Grand Prix until a late charge by Red Bull Racing‘s Max Verstappen stole a maiden win from under Leclerc’s nose.
Binotto said recently that Ferrari will look to pack downforce onto its 2019 car, satisfied with the current performance of its power unit.
Despite winning last year’s thrilling British race with Sebastian Vettel, Binotto is unsure that Silverstone will prove to be a happy hunting ground for his side 12 months on.
“Silverstone is one of the toughest tracks of the season, providing a real test of a car’s set-up and balance,” said Binotto.
“Tyres also come under a lot of strain here and the amount they wear plays a key role in how your race pans out.
“We do not expect Silverstone to suit our car particularly well, but at every race, we have seen that the balance of power can change, often unexpectedly.
“For the British Grand Prix we are bringing a further small aerodynamic modification as we continue to push hard on the development of our car.”
Ferrari sits 135 points behind championship leader Mercedes AMG Motorsport after just nice races, and Binotto views the British GP weekend as a chance to see whether the changes made to the SF90 chassis will help close the performance gap at certain tracks.
“This weekend will be a useful opportunity for us to see if the work we have carried out recently means that we can be closer to our main competitors, on tracks with specific characteristics,” Binotto added.
