Ferrari’s momentum matters a lot for F1 2022, says Binotto

The Italian outfit has edged clear of McLaren in the fight for third place in the constructors’ championship, with it enjoying a 31.5 points advantage with just three races remaining.

Although the pace of the current cars will have little bearing on next season, as team’s 2022 ground effect concepts will be completely new designs, Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto says that there are a number of important factors that will carry over – so are very important to get right now.

“I think what's happening is pretty relevant,” said Binotto, when asked by Autosport about if current form had any value for 2022.

“It’s especially true for what's happening in terms of race management, but also obviously a new driver Carlos [Sainz] getting used to our car, our team work.

“I think again on strategy, the way we are working in terms of tyre management, all the models we developed and together with the drivers the way we are doing it. I think overall in terms of overall race management, we have improved through the season, race by race, and that will be very useful in the view of next year,

"And it's not only the race management. It is the overall entire team interactions, which is important, and I think that we are working well in view of 2022.

“The car certainly will be different, but on that, the target, the objectives, and what we are doing in the simulator as comparison with the one we have got today, it’s all part of the process of development, which is interaction between engineers, people, drivers.

“You're still trying to improve, and I think we have improved all the way through the season.”

Carlos Sainz Jr., Ferrari SF21

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

While Ferrari’s recent step forward with its power unit has helped it overhaul McLaren in the F1 standings, Binotto is still cautious about the possibility of it facing some tough challenges in the events to come.

“I think each single race can be different,” he said. “Now we are going to Qatar where we never raced in the past. There are a lot of corners, so we may again face difficulties in terms of tyre wear.

“I think we need to prepare ourselves very well for that. I think that Qatar can be a different picture to the previous one.

“We've got a margin of 31.5 points which are important, but I think that at each single race we are starting again on a similar level of performance, and it's up to us to prove that we can stay ahead.”