Binotto: Ferrari still F1 "outsider" and not favourite in 2022

The F1-75 has been a consistent pacesetter from the start of track action on Wednesday, with Charles Leclerc topping the times on Thursday.

The Italian team had a significant advantage in the first half of 2021 when it benefited from the sliding scale of the FIA aero testing regulations.

Its sixth place in the previous year's constructors' championship allowed it significantly more windtunnel time and CFD usage than its traditional rivals.

Even after the July 2021 reset – at which point Ferrari lay fourth in the championship – the team had access to more aero resource than Mercedes and Red Bull until December.

Third place at the end of the 2021 season still put Ferrari ahead of those teams in the aero testing usage league table, although its close 2021 rival McLaren now has a slight edge after losing out on third place in the constructors' table.

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Asked by Autosport about the benefits gained from the aero testing rules, Binotto played down any advantage that the team might have had.

"If you look at the amount, it's a couple of sessions on the entire year, it's maybe a tenth per lap, if you are very good," he said.

"And I think that's the amount, and then it's all how you manage priorities, how good you are and how efficient in your activities.

Mattia Binotto, Team Principal, Ferrari

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

"If I look at Mercedes and Red Bull, how strong they were last year, no doubt that as teams they are very, very strong. And I think the regulations are in place to help the ones that are less efficient.

"Overall, I think as Ferrari it was important for us try to to put focus on priority on the 2022 car. We always said it was a good opportunity.

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"Now we are on track, we try to learn the car. How we benefit from that I think only the next months will tell us, and not the next day.

"Before we see the potential, the full potential of these cars, I think it could take at least four to five races, because there is so much to learn, to adapt, to address. Even the first race will be a completely different situation in Bahrain, the heat, a completely different type of track.

"I'm pretty sure that we can find even a different balance between teams in terms of relative competitiveness. So let's wait and see.

"Honestly, I think we are not the strongest team. We are still the outsider, not the favourites."

Binotto conceded that the Barcelona test had gone well for Ferrari thus far, but stressed that there was still much to learn.

"It's very early days," he said. "It's always great to have consistency when running, because it's time to learn a new car. And when you're doing a lot of laps, you are certainly collecting data.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari F1-75

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

"Overall, on the pace, I think it's really, very early to judge. What I can see that we are all very close, which was one of the objectives of the new regulations. I think it's quite impressive to see that we are so close, straight from the start.

"And if you look at the cars, they are so different, which I think no one was expecting, so much differences between design and shapes.

"But again, when you look at the lap time, yes, certainly there will be differences, but it was not as huge as the difference in design."

Binotto added that he's proud of the new F1-75 and the way that his team bounced back from recent frustrations.

"I think that this is a great team, we're very united," he said.

"In the past couple of years there have been difficult moments for us. Certainly 2020, but as well 2021. And when you are in such a difficult situation, remaining united, trying to work hard, to do your best, is never easy.

"And when I look at the car itself, I think it's beautiful. Maybe not as fast now, but certainly beautiful.

"I think it's really a great pride, because I'm proud of the team itself. So it's really a pleasure to work with all of them. I think it's the way we are working, which is somehow our vision."