Ferrari unveils Sainz and Leclerc’s new SF21 for 2021 season
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This Wednesday the 10th of March, and at just two days from the start of the preseason tests, Ferrari SF21 has finally unveiled. This is the challenger with which the Spaniard Carlos Sainz and the Monegasque Charles Leclerc will try to turn the tables on Ferrari this season. 

“This car was born out of last year’s car due to the new regulations so it was partially frozen, but we tried to improve it in all of its areas, wherever it was possible”. – Said team director, Mattia Binotto-. 

At first glance, there are only a few cosmetic changes. The livery of the Prancing Horse is, for the most part, painted in its traditional red, although it fades into a burgundy hue towards the back of the car.

The SF21 uses the same tone chosen for Ferrari’s 1.000th GP (Mugello 2020) in honour of its first car, the SF125S. The only contrasting note is the fluorescent green chosen to draw the logo of its main sponsor and which is depicted at the top of the engine hood. 

Technically, most of the improvements have taken place at the rear of the car, which is the area that generated most problems for Sebastian Vettel in the previous season.

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The veteran German driver has now been replaced by Sainz, but engineers have nonetheless worked hard to eliminate the oversteering issues suffered by the previous model. 

The front (new nose & wing) and rear areas of the SF21 has therefore seen most of the changes as well as being the recipient of the two tokens that each team could use to vary the elements frozen by the 2021 regulations. 

Other technical innovations have been aimed at boosting engine power, increasing top speed and reducing drag, the previous model’s three most salient weaknesses. Not in vain, Ferrari had last year one of its worst seasons in recent decades. 

Weighed down by the flaws of the SF1000, they were sixth in the Constructors’ World Championship behind Mercedes, Red Bull, McLaren, Renault and Racing Point. Unsurprisingly, they were 1,167 seconds per lap behind W11 on average during 2020. 

Their highly disappointing results of 2020, however, have resulted in an unexpected advantage in 2021. During the current preseason, a new rule came into force that allowed teams a maximum number of wind tunnel hours inversely proportional to their classification place in the previous year. In this way, the worst teams have had more time than the best ones to work on their aerodynamics.

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In this respect, the head of the Italian team, Mattia Binotto, had the following to say: “So, I’m expecting the speed not to be such an issue as it was. We hope to be competitive, but we will know it only when being in Bahrain because it’s always relative to what the others are doing”.

“But we believe that our car is certainly more efficient compared to the one we had last year, and when I’m saying efficient, again, it is both from the aero point of view, and from the power unit point of view.” 

“We played our tokens on the back of the car and I do believe that our car is better than last year’s. Obviously, you cannot compare them as well because there is also a change in aero regulations on the floor on the back”.

“But the way I’ve seen the car developing both at the wind tunnel and at the dyno I believe that we made somehow a significant effort. We can’t see where we are exactly until we’re out on the track”. 

Well, in just 48 hours we will be able to see if the changes and improvements implemented in the new model are truly effective. At least one thing is certain, Carlos Sainz has the best career opportunity of his life ahead of him.

This year, however, is not one to think about personal goals, but to join forces with his teammate Leclerc to bring Ferrari back to the top where it belongs.

Images of Ferrari SF21: Ferrari.

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