Ferrari: 2020 F1 engine not as strong after reliability work

While Ferrari feels the SF1000 is a step forward in cornering performance, it has become clear during pre-season testing that the car is down in terms of top speed.

Ferrari's straightline power has been one of its key advantages in recent seasons, but team principal Mattia Binotto says the lack of speed coming from the new car is a combination of both compromised engine performance and the car producing too much drag.

When asked by Autosport which of the two offered the best explanation for Ferrari's straightline performance, Binotto said: "In terms of overall performance on the power and the engine, we are not as strong as we were last year.

"We were somehow focused on our reliability and that is somehow compromising eventually the performance.

"But the drag is significantly affecting the speed. I think when you look for better speed you need to look for the drag and the power of the engine itself.

"We will work on both items for the future, no doubt.

Binotto's admission comes against the backdrop of long-standing suspicions about Ferrari's 2019 power unit, which resulted in an "agreement" being reached on the matter between the FIA and the team.

Speaking before the FIA revealed the arrangement with Ferrari, Binotto said that the team's 2020 power unit was being limited by a reliability programme it was running.

Regarding suspicions that Ferrari had been hiding the potential of the engine, Binotto said: "We are not hiding. That is our true performance.

"It's difficult to split on the streets what is drag and what is power, but certainly we are down on speed compared to other competitors.

"That's affected by one way from the drag and the other from the reliability programme that we have in place."