After an uncharacteristically poor start to the season, it’s no secret Scuderia Ferrari aren’t going to be in the title fight in 2020. However, Ferrari chairman John Elkann is doubtful the Maranello outfit will even be able to pick up a single win this year.
With Charles Leclerc finishing out of the points at the last race in Hungary and a Double DNF the week before that in Styria, Ferrari currently occupy an atypical fifth place in the constructors’ standings.
In an interview with Gazzetto dello Sport, Elkann admitted that the team have been going through “a difficult period” spanning 12 years- with the prancing horse having won no constructors’ or drivers world championships since 2007. He also expressed his frustration at the start of the 2020 season, highlighting the key flaws of the SF1000 and describing the inherent performance issues.
“We are not competitive thanks to project errors. We have had a number of structural weaknesses that have existed for some time in aerodynamics, and we have also lost out in engine power“
“The reality is that our car is not competitive. You saw it on the track and you will see it again.“
In addition to Ferrari’s woes, a recently implemented ‘chassis freeze’ (designed to prepare the sport for the rules change in 2022) has hindered the team even more, preventing them from administering any major changes to their car for this season and the next. Elkann suggested that these newly enforced regulations has ultimately doomed Ferrari for the foreseeable future.
“[It affects us] a lot, given that we started off poorly.“
“The fans are suffering as much as we are, but we know they are close to us. This is why it is important to be clear and honest with them.“
While Elkann appeared downbeat regarding Ferrari’s 2020-2021 ventures, he is extremely confident that the team will be back on the top step of the podium in 2022 and beyond; He cited that they are “laying the foundations for being competitive and winning when the rules change in 2022“
“We do not see the limitation of budget caps as a constraint on our ability to win. We take it as a challenge“
“Our engineers, our mechanics and our drivers will find strength and creativity to bring Ferrari back up.“
“I am convinced of this“
Whether or not Elkann’s predictions will materialise, many Formula 1 fans remain deeply hopeful that there will be other chances for the Scuderia- in this year, 2021 and beyond. After all, what is F1 without Ferrari?
