Although the new Formula 1 regulations would have given Ferrari a golden opportunity to try and challenge Mercedes’ superiority as early as next season, Mattia Binotto considers that its postponement to 2022 is probably a good thing.
The new rules, which should have come into force in 2021, will be delayed due to the Coronavirus emergency:
“Ferrari will not be favoured by this choice, but we will come back stronger. The postponement was the best choice,” Binotto admitted with a touch of bitterness. “We were aware of the difficulties of some teams.”
Formula One was a collateral victim of the Covid-19 pandemic. Indeed, while the 2020 season was due to kick off on March 15th at the Australian Grand Prix, it was cancelled due to the health situation, before eight other races were postponed or cancelled.
The World Championship will therefore not start until June 28th at the French Grand Prix, in the hope that the health situation has improved enough for the race to be held. However, the start of the racing season is not the only consequence caused by the coronavirus crisis as it has also led to a postponement of the new rules that were due to come into force in 2021 to the 2022 season.
And despite the fact that the new rules would have narrowed the gap between the teams and given Ferrari the opportunity to fight more with Mercedes, Mattia Binotto, the Scuderia’s director of sports management, is finally taking a positive view of this postponement.
Binotto elaborates:
“The decision had to be responsible given the urgency we were facing. It wasn’t a matter of considering the interests of a single team or Ferrari, but of considering the whole situation.
“At the end of the day I think it was the right choice. It was going to be a very tight deadline to develop the 2021 cars. Is this a slightly unfavourable decision for Ferrari? Maybe yes. But we are challengers.
“The new regulations could bring positive and spectacular results for the sport. It aims to bring the level of performance closer. Let’s hope that it will ensure that one team does not dominate the entire field,”
