FERRARI boss Mattia Binotto has pleaded for “patience” as he tries to stop the team’s slide – but warned it could take YEARS for them to be winners again.
The Italian team endured their worst weekend in a decade in last Sunday’s Belgian GP where their cars finished in 13th and 14th place.
Ferrari drivers Vettel and Leclerc have been warned it could be years before the manufacturer is a winner againCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Binotto has pleaded for patience amid the team’s strugglesCredit: Getty – Contributor
And they are set for more pain this weekend in their home race – the Italian GP at Monza.
SunSport quizzed Binotto after the race in Spa as to what exactly had gone wrong, whether he was the right man to resolve the situation and how long it would take to turn it around.
He said: “How long it will take? I think that if you look back at all the winning cycles it is always many years.
“There are no silver bullets in F1. Patience and stability is required.
“The engine is frozen this season, so there is nothing we can do on that. We are developing it for next season, and it is progressing well on the dyno at the moment.
“On the car there are some restrictions, so what’s the plan for us? The main plan is focusing on the next seasons – not only 2021 but also certainly as well 2022.
“In order to do well in the next season we also need to try to understand the weaknesses of today and make sure that we are addressing them.”
There is a growing feeling within the F1 paddock that Ferrari’s loss of engine power came about following an investigation by the FIA into their power unit.
Controversially, the findings of that investigation have been kept private after the two reached a “settlement”.
But Binotto claims that all engine-manufacturers have suffered as a result of the rule changes introduced for this season.
But while the likes of Mercedes still continue to eek out more lap time for their motor, Ferrari – who were blasted by Seb Vettel during the British GP – have not been able to do so.
He added: “What is happening, in fact, is that we have a car that has lost power. Just as all the engine manufacturers have lost it: but we more than the others.
“Last year the engine partly covered the limits of the machine, but this year it is no longer the case.
“The limits of the machine are emerging. On that point it is clear that we must improve.”
Ferrari endured their worst weekend in a decade in last Sunday’s Belgian GP where their cars finished in 13th and 14th placeCredit: Getty Images – Getty
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Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
