Binotto admits: "Our main goal for 2021 was not third place"

Ferrari is proving more competitive in the 2021 Formula 1 season than many people expected. The Italian team is still in a battle for third place in the championship with McLaren. In doing so, it even exceeded its own expectations, according to team boss Mattia Binotto.

After the setback the team made in 2020, hopes were pinned on the new rules scheduled for 2022. Ferrari was therefore one of the teams that quickly turned its full attention to the following season in 2021, but nevertheless made significant progress during the year.

This came as a big surprise not only to viewers, but also to Ferrari itself. "We never really developed the current car," said Binotto according to Motorsport-Total.com. "We introduced a few developments at the beginning of the season and that was it."

Still, a major engine update came later in the season, but that too was carried out with 2022 in mind. "All our efforts fwere focused on the car for 2022 from the start. We never compromised on that," explained the 52-year-old Italian. "So it never crossed our minds to try at any point to penalize 2022 in favor of 2021. Not even in view of the battle for third place."