Ferrari Formula 1 director Mattia Binotto says his team will have no qualms about copying some of the competition’s innovative designs this year for the 2022 F1 season in a statement for French media the day after the Mercedes AMG F1 team launch their very different in concept W13 car – A coincidence perhaps, but it is a strange thing to say so soon after Mercedes show their car.
In 2022, Formula One has introduced a completely new set of technical regulations, which means that all the teams on the grid are starting from scratch when developing their cars. This total reset means that the development race will be intense this year in F1 with frequent updates being introduced by the teams and some may be ahead of the game while others may be going in the wrong direction. Binottos statements are perhaps signalling a concern for the Ferrari unique direction in design.
Thus far, most of the cars are very different to each other in terms of aero concept, with the Ferrari F1-75 launched midweek perhaps the most extreme in differences. Read about that here.
Since the Mercedes launch, Ferrari has publicly conceeded that it will be more important than ever to look at the innovations of the other teams and copy what works, and that Ferrari will not hesitate to do so this year:
“I think that the first tests and the first Grands Prix will tell us how well we have done, but I also think that it will be very important at the beginning of the season to understand the behaviour of these cars, to adapt, to correct, and possibly even to copy,” Binotto told Frances Canal+.
“I think that when you look at a new regulation, there may be concepts that have been different in other teams.
“Good solutions that we will have to be able to observe, to copy if ever, and to introduce as soon as possible. So I think there will be a lot of development at the beginning, there will be a lot of relative performance from team to team that could change, so it’s not saying that the fastest car at the beginning can be the fastest car after five or six races and I think that this beginning of the season is going to be kind of important for the rest.”
When told that many team bosses and fans believe that Scuderia Ferrari are among the favourites to win this year, Binotto replied, “I don’t think we are the favourites on the contrary, I think we are not the world champions at the moment,
“There are others who won the championship last year, both drivers and constructors, and those teams who fought last year for the best result were somehow very strong compared to us. They finished the season with a nice advantage.”
“It shows that they are very strong teams, and if they have been strong in the past, there is no reason why they shouldn’t be strong in the present or in the future, so I expect Mercedes and Red Bull to be the favourites again.
“They are the favourites, they are the ones with the number one on the car and otherwise we can be challengers in a way.”
“Why do the others think we are the favourites? First of all I think it’s to take some pressure off themselves, but I’m sorry, they have to keep the pressure. On our side, it’s true, it’s a beautiful car. But I don’t think the fact that it’s beautiful means it will be fast.”
Ferrari finished the 2021 season in third place in the constructors’ championship, 262 points behind Red Bull.
Bullshit article lacking any credibility or truth and obviously showing hatred of Sir Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton wasn’t even mentioned, it had nothing to do with merc or Hamilton, did you read the article…
Hamilton is nothing more than a spoiled brat. Mercedes made him. Let’s put him in a car that’s equal in performance to everyone else. I’d like to see how he does. Better yet let’s put him a dirt track modified, where competition is wheel to wheel every race. He’s an overpaid driver who most people don’t realize without Mercedes would not have seven championships. He should have retired. One of these days, people will realize that the car, the team and all their financial resources gave Hamilton most of his championships!!!
He said this at the ferrari launch, prior to Mercedes being launched the following day. So unless you have difficulties understanding basic time and date formats, you’re making up headlines for click bait #sad
It’s not even preseason and ferrari are already admitting defeat, it’s sad what a laughing stock ferrari have become.
Can no one actually understand Bineetos point was. It wasn’t that they were going to copy merc. It was after a couple they will see who has come up with the best solution, which ever solution is Ferrari will incorporate that onto their car, like the rest of the teams will, because its the best solution…
Thanks. Informative.