Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has played down Ferrari’s chances of challenging for the 2022 Formula One Constructors’ Championship. The Scuderia impressed with their engine developments in the back end of last season and have been tipped to enjoy a good year on the track.
Other drivers, including McLaren’s Lando Norris, admitted they had noticed Ferrari’s improvement across the final races of 2021.
Carlos Sainz’s podium finish in the Abu Dhabi finale could have been an indicator of what’s to come this season.
Along with Charles Leclerc, Ferrari look to have a dangerous duo and an impressive Power Unit, which could be a recipe for success.
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And earlier this month, team principal Mattia Binotto explained how far they’ve come from disappointment in 2020 and expressed confidence that they can make further improvements to the engine.
He told motorsport-magazin.com: “I think we’ve made a big step in Power Unit.
“Because if you compare it to the past, last year [2020] the Power Unit was our big weakness, and we were a long way behind. If you look at where we are today, then the developments are obvious.
“The fact that we managed to do this eight races before the end was a great achievement by the team, which felt the responsibility and tried to work as hard as it could and introduce the engine as early as possible.
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“I’m pretty sure that we can make further improvements. What I can say about the Power Unit of 2022 is: Believe me, there is a lot of innovation in it.”
Many have backed the Scuderia to close the gap to Mercedes and Red Bull this year and potentially even challenge for the constructors’ title.
However, Marko has made it very clear that he doesn’t view Ferrari as genuine rivals to Christian Horner’s Red Bull and Toto Wolff’s Mercedes ahead of the 2022 season.
“There is no reason to think that Mercedes and we are not the favourites this year,” Marko said.
It’s the second time the 78-year-old Austrian has aimed a subtle dig at Ferrari since the turn of the new year.
He previously told Auto Motor und Sport: “Mercedes and we have the potential, the people and the continuity.
“That speaks again for a fight at the highest level. Especially since there are no other drivers like [Lewis] Hamilton and [Max] Verstappen.”
Ferrari undoubtedly have a point to prove when they take to the track for pre-season ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in March.
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