The proper unveils of the 2020 Formula 1 contenders begins with the oldest name in the game – Ferrari. There is little to no difference in the livery, it’s just more matte red with even more Mission Winnow branding. But that’s totally acceptable for a Ferrari. The SF1000 name denotes the 1000th grand prix for Ferrari.
Since the regulations have stayed relatively stable for 2020, there are barely any changes to the car’s details. Of course, the team is also working on the all-new 2021 car in the background so it seems acceptable to keep the 2020 updates relatively few. Plus, if Ferrari can start this season with the performance it had in the second half of 2019, that should work out okay. In many ways, the SF1000 is just a more refined version of the SF90.
More worryingly, the CEO of Ferrari Louis Camilleri stated that the team is focussing on the long run and not just the immediate seasons. Something about that choice of words, tells me that Ferrari isn’t too confident about being able to beat Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton anytime soon.
Mattia Binotto keeps his position as Team Principal and MD of Scuderia. Camilleri trusts the guy and his vision for Ferrari in F1. As a fan, I just hope Binotto has a better handle on how to get the best out of his drivers this year and not piss about with fucking over Charles in the team strategy. In his interview, he stated the focus for the SF1000 has been to improve downforce and rework the suspension so its easier to adapt to the variety of circuits.
The SF1000 will be driven angrily for the first time next week on 19th February at the start of pre-season testing. It’ll take place at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as usual. While testing results have rarely carried over to the races, it will be interesting to see who seems more settled – Charles Leclerc or Sebastian Vettel.
The Auto Loons 