Red Bull and Mercedes warned: Ferrari ready to take world title

Fighting spirit of 15 years without a title

Ferrari may be one of the biggest teams in Formula 1, but in terms of performance, the team has not excelled for years. After Kimi Raikkonen managed to win the world title in 2007, it has failed to return to the very top in the 14 years that have followed, not even when Sebastian Vettel joined the team.

At first glance, the recent past does not seem to speak in favour of Ferrari. Looking at it the other way around, Ferrari's hunger is greater than ever. While the people in the Red Bull and Mercedes teams can still rely on the performance of recent years, the Italians know that they have to show it. And that might just make the difference in 2022, as the gap between the cars has become smaller.

Car strong on all parts

The team has said in recent months that it wants to take advantage of the new regulations and last season's title fight between Mercedes and Red Bull, which meant that Ferrari could focus more on 2022 than their competition. Team boss Mattia Binotto knows better than anyone that Ferrari needs a competitive car in which Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc can fight for wins.

During the three test days in Barcelona Ferrari succeeded. With no less than 439 laps driven, the reliability of the car was good. Moreover, the engine seemed to be on the level of Mercedes and Honda. Finally, the dramatic season in 2020 and fourth place in the World Championship on June 30, 2021 provided a stroke of luck, because it gave Ferrari more time to spend in the wind tunnel and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).

Sainz and Leclerc have great talent

While it is estimated that the cars account for 80% of the teams' performance, the drivers also still play an important role in the equation. And in terms of the qualities within the racing stable, Ferrari has little to complain about. With Sainz and Leclerc, it seemingly potentially has two drivers in house who should be capable of entering title contention.

While Leclerc showed what he is capable of at the beginning of last season, Sainz caught up with his teammate during the year and even managed to finish ahead of the Monegasque driver. This mutual competition should ensure that the level of the Italians rise in the coming years and that their chances of winning the world title increase.

Conclusion

In short, the upcoming season is the ideal moment for Ferrari to show what it is capable of, the world title should be achievable. Ferrari has been in Formula 1 long enough to know that it must watch out for competition, but it is high time that the team breathes new life into the world famous name.

This column originally appeared on the Dutch edition of GPblog, written by Jordi.