(Motorsport) The most successful team in Formula 1 history has unveiled the brand new F1-75, Ferrari’s 2022 challenger that has been described as “radical”, “innovative” and “daring” and the iconic team will hope that it’s the car which will get them back to winning ways. Scuderia Ferrari haven’t won a Championship in 14 years but the team are hoping to begin the upcoming season with a clean slate due to the new regulations and finally compete with the likes of Mercedes and Red Bull.
Despite the fact that Ferrari are arguably the most recognizable brand in the world and the most successful and iconic team in Formula 1’s history, gone are the days when the Italian manufacturer was considered a perennial title challenger with someone like Michael Schumacher leading them to glory. Over the last few years, Ferrari have been reduced to a mid-table team competing alongside the likes of McLaren for the “best of the rest” rather than the Drivers or Constructors Championship. However, the 2022 F1-75 brings with it renewed optimism as Scuderia Ferrari have been working on the car longer than most other manufacturers in the Formula 1 grid and have devoted significant time and resources on the car to gain that competitive edge.
The F1-75 was revealed at Maranello with principal of Scuderia Ferrari Mattia Binotto introducing the car alongside drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. The car is named the F1-75 as a homage to Ferrari’s first production car 125 S, which was produced 75 years ago in 1947. The car has a darker red and black livery and it’s clear that the Italian manufacturers have thought outside the box in the development of this car. At first glance, the F1-75 looks eerily similar to the Ferrari cars in the 1980’s and 90’s due to the black wings and the expectations are at an all time high to build on their third place finish in the 2021 season.
Speaking at the launch, principal of Scuderia Ferrari Mattia Binotto said “It was at first important for us to be fully open minded in the way we approach the exercise. It was not a matter of simply continuing the concept of the previous car and adapting them to the new rules. It has been aerodynamic-driven, and all the mechanical concepts have been a consequence of it. We tried all the directions and we picked the one we thought was the best for the final performance. I think there are a lot of non conventional choices.
“It is a big innovation for us in terms of the design. If we do not win, is that a failure for Ferrari? I think it's important for Ferrari to be back to being competitive and we've said for a long time that 2022 is our best opportunity for that. We put a lot of effort as a team in designing the new car, and the way I've seen the team working, I'm proud. I'm not considering a failure at the moment, we're simply focused on trying to do our best."
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc said “Expectations are high because we are Ferrari. We are a team that is expected to win all the time. What makes me confident about this year's car is the work that I've seen in the last few months. That's been absolutely incredible by the whole team. It's been a long time since we've been working on this car now and I can see how well we've been working so that gives me the confidence for the future. But it's never easy to know until you are on track at the first qualifying year. But the feeling is good, everyone is extremely motivated and I'm also extremely motivated to be back in the car and to finally drive this beautiful car."
Carlos Sainz added “Our target is to be back up there fighting for wins. Obviously we have very tough competitors in F1, Mercedes, Red Bull, McLaren, even Alpine and Aston Martin could be up there this year. The target of Ferrari is always to be back being competitive." Ferrari will complete the demo run of the F1-75 at the Fiorano racetrack on Friday, five days before the start of pre-season testing in Barcelona.
Also read: Formula 1 managing director Ross Brawn expects action packed 2022 season
