SF21 Challenger Thread

**FerrariF60** · 26th February 2021, 20:25

Originally Posted by paolo lalli

Brilliant launch it gave me goosebumps.Have no doubts ferrari will be ready and I have a feeling that the season will be very positive.I expect a ferrari ambush.

Ferrari ambush?? I wouldn’t get so excited if I were you....just to be disappointed come s3ason start....now I’m not saying that ferrari will not and have not improved from last year, but to think they’ll AMBUSH the opposition....that’s a little far fetched me thinks

**Silent Bob** · 27th February 2021, 01:57

Well they spent a year trying to make the car fast without an engine... shouldn't be too hard to make it faster with a good engine. Think Ferrari will be a bit of a surprise.

**MSC Fan** · 27th February 2021, 02:03

Originally Posted by jgonzalesm6

Salo’s Ferrari cheating comments ‘a stupid joke’

excerpts

Salo, who has previously been forced to deny allegations of leaking details of race penalties to the Finnish media, claimed that Ferrari’s punishment for using an engine that was not fully compliant with the regulations was to use less fuel flow during the 2020 campaign.

That, according to him, was why the Scuderia and its customer teams, Alfa Romeo and Haas, struggled for pace last season.

But, after his comments spread across the Formula 1 community, he has now dismissed them as “a stupid joke” in a video post uploaded to Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLts-ZNp...eo_watch_again

“I realise that a few comments I made on Twitch a few days ago has been interpreted in a misleading way,” Salo said.

“I would like to clarify that I have no knowledge of the agreement, or any kind of agreement, between the FIA and Ferrari. We only talked about what has been in the press and media before.

“It was a stupid joke and just an informal conversation between two friends.

“All I can say is that I really have no clue on any sort of contract and even I knew any confidential information I would not say it to you guys.”

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mika-s...ting-comments/

If it was a joke, why would he have bothered making it even clear?

**Tony** · 27th February 2021, 02:35

Originally Posted by jgonzalesm6

SF21 - Team Launch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X9iWe7jEy4&t=363s

Just watched this video, around the midpoint, Leclerc asks Sainz if Sainz thinks he can beat him... this leads to an interesting discussion where Sainz says it will be very hard this year given that he doesn't know the team yet but he's hoping to challenge him at some point... he goes on to say something very interesting, he says this is a year that he thinks they should work together to make the team better and then, whenever there is a championship that is available for the two of them to fight over, they can worry about being competitive at that point (I'm paraphrasing, but it's pretty much the gist of it)...

So with that said, I don't think Ferrari has it's sights on the championship this year either...

**tpe** · 27th February 2021, 03:53

Exactly.
I don't know why some ppl believe that Ferrari will be anywhere close to the second row of the grid.

**MSC Fan** · 27th February 2021, 04:00

Originally Posted by tpe

Exactly.
I don't know why some ppl believe that Ferrari will be anywhere close to the second row of the grid.

Why not? Leclerc put it on the second row at Silverstone, Portimao and Sakhir and that was in, if you ask me, by the worst car Ferrari ever made so far in it's except for the 1980 car. Perhaps, you mean second in the WCC?

**tpe** · 27th February 2021, 14:18

Those were exceptions.
Besides, when both drivers discuss for a transitional year, the TP says his target is the 3rd place etc, I have 0 hopes for something better than 4th row. And not easily.... If they surprise us, I will be happy, but I don't think so

**jgonzalesm6** · 27th February 2021, 14:44

Originally Posted by MSC Fan

Why not? Leclerc put it on the second row at Silverstone, Portimao and Sakhir and that was in,.......

Rows 1 thru 8 in 2021 will be Mercedes, RedBull, Mclaren and AMF1 and not in that order.

In order for Leclerc to move up in those rows given the track will either be weather related (rain) or those teams I mentioned have a DNF (whether mechanical or race incidents).

Now Ferrari has said that they have made significant gains in straight line speed........I'm gonna have to see it to believe it before altering my predictions for 2021.

**FerrariF60** · 27th February 2021, 15:10

Originally Posted by Tony

Just watched this video, around the midpoint, Leclerc asks Sainz if Sainz thinks he can beat him... this leads to an interesting discussion where Sainz says it will be very hard this year given that he doesn't know the team yet but he's hoping to challenge him at some point... he goes on to say something very interesting, he says this is a year that he thinks they should work together to make the team better and then, whenever there is a championship that is available for the two of them to fight over, they can worry about being competitive at that point (I'm paraphrasing, but it's pretty much the gist of it)...

So with that said, I don't think Ferrari has it's sights on the championship this year either...

With all due respect, but we already sort of knew that, did we NOT??? I mean we knew how big the deficit was to Merc and even red fools last year....and for ferrari to make up from that far back in just over the winter to come out better than Merc and red fools......we’ll that is a bit too much me thinks, NO??

So I think both drivers know that they will not fight for any championship this year and prolly not even wins....as Merc is the benchmark and red fools and Honda are nipping at their heels.....so we’ll prolly be the third best team.....I hope, we’ll se where Aston Martin ( what they’ll be copying from Merc this year) stacks up as well as the unknown McLaren with the Merc engine where they’ll stack up......

But let’s hope Ferrari will prove me wrong.....although I ain’t holding my breath.....

**Silent Bob** · 27th February 2021, 16:02

I'll be the outcast here and predict Ferrari will be fighting with RedBull. I'm confident that Ferrari will have a pretty good engine and the year they had figuring out how to make a draggy car fast with an anchor in the back will come good this year. They'll be a solid 3rd for sure and mixing it with RedBull even.

**MSC Fan** · 27th February 2021, 16:07

Originally Posted by jgonzalesm6

Rows 1 thru 8 in 2021 will be Mercedes, RedBull, Mclaren and AMF1 and not in that order.

In order for Leclerc to move up in those rows given the track will either be weather related (rain) or those teams I mentioned have a DNF (whether mechanical or race incidents).

Now Ferrari has said that they have made significant gains in straight line speed........I'm gonna have to see it to believe it before altering my predictions for 2021.

Again, it's not just the cars; the drivers can make the difference too. Leclerc is one of, if not the best, qualifier on the current grid. Sainz is one of the most consistent drivers as well, being very impressive in the McLaren (they only won the battle to P3 because of consistency). If Vettel had kept up to Leclerc last year, we would've been in the contention for P3 in the constructor's for a large part of the season, as well.

**ferrari1.8t** · 27th February 2021, 16:43

Why are we all still surprised that Merc bought the turbo era? They got a few extra titles than originally expected because of Covid and freezing/delaying development. This year is a guaranteed 8th for Hamilton. Sorry to burst everyone’s bubble. Ferrari is 100% focused on getting 2022 right. As an F1 fan, we can only hope that RB at least becomes a nuisance for Hamilton. I hope Ferrari proves me wrong, but I fear 2021 is over before it even started.

**MSC Fan** · 27th February 2021, 16:56

Originally Posted by ferrari1.8t

Why are we all still surprised that Merc bought the turbo era? They got a few extra titles than originally expected because of Covid and freezing/delaying development. This year is a guaranteed 8th for Hamilton. Sorry to burst everyone’s bubble. Ferrari is 100% focused on getting 2022 right. As an F1 fan, we can only hope that RB at least becomes a nuisance for Hamilton. I hope Ferrari proves me wrong, but I fear 2021 is over before it even started.

I suspect that already is the case. Remember, the work on 2022 cars started way before the 2021 cars.

**jgonzalesm6** · 27th February 2021, 16:57

Originally Posted by MSC Fan

Again, it's not just the cars; the drivers can make the difference too. Leclerc is one of, if not the best, qualifier on the current grid. Sainz is one of the most consistent drivers as well, being very impressive in the McLaren (they only won the battle to P3 because of consistency). If Vettel had kept up to Leclerc last year, we would've been in the contention for P3 in the constructor's for a large part of the season, as well.

Agree on Leclerc on Sainz. I disagree on the bolded part.

POSSIBLE 4th in the WCC contention but definitely 5th in the WCC contention. The engine was a big factor for Leclerc and Vettel....with Vettel not really "into it" during the season. One could debate Vettel was so over with Ferrari that he sold most, if not all, his Ferrari collection.

Could Vettel beat Leclerc in 2021 for points??? It's possible. Do I think Vettel is better than Leclerc?? No. Will Stroll beat Leclerc in 2021?? That's possible as well but in no way Stroll is better than Leclerc. The same goes for Bottas vs Leclerc.

**MSC Fan** · 27th February 2021, 17:16

Originally Posted by jgonzalesm6

Agree on Leclerc on Sainz. I disagree on the bolded part.

POSSIBLE 4th in the WCC contention but definitely 5th in the WCC contention. The engine was a big factor for Leclerc and Vettel....with Vettel not really "into it" during the season. One could debate Vettel was so over with Ferrari that he sold most, if not all, his Ferrari collection.

Could Vettel beat Leclerc in 2021 for points??? It's possible. Do I think Vettel is better than Leclerc?? No. Will Stroll beat Leclerc in 2021?? That's possible as well but in no way Stroll is better than Leclerc. The same goes for Bottas vs Leclerc.

You're not wrong at all but my point is, if you were to observe the standings at ,say, Nurburgring and if Vettel was close to Leclerc in points as was the case with Norris and Sainz, you wouldn't have predicted where Ferrari would ultimately end up finishing. We only dropped out of contention as late as in Sakhir with Vettel not being in it. If Vettel would've scored 20 points more over the course of the rest of the season, Ferrari would've been in the fight for P3 till the last race. It doesn't mean, that Ferrari would've ended up being P3. Nope, not my point. It just would've reflected that Ferrari was actually competitive with the rest of the midfield.

Likewise, we may not end up being P2 this season solely because of the driver lineup. But it can show competitiveness and fighting spirit, which ultimately is what sports are all about.

**Liscia** · 27th February 2021, 18:24

Originally Posted by Silent Bob

I'll be the outcast here and predict Ferrari will be fighting with RedBull. I'm confident that Ferrari will have a pretty good engine and the year they had figuring out how to make a draggy car fast with an anchor in the back will come good this year. They'll be a solid 3rd for sure and mixing it with RedBull even.

I join you in the wilderness Bob. My fingers crossed Charles gets a win or two by tactics or whatever means if not by outright superiority on the track.

**tifosi1993** · 27th February 2021, 19:06

Originally Posted by tpe

Exactly.
I don't know why some ppl believe that Ferrari will be anywhere close to the second row of the grid.

Agreed. They will be above the second row and will be fighting for the front row.

**FerrariF60** · 27th February 2021, 19:14

Originally Posted by tifosi1993

Agreed. They will be above the second row and will be fighting for the front row.

glad to see someone optimistic......ill believe it when i see it.....IF ILL SEE IT.....

**tifosi1993** · 27th February 2021, 19:36

Originally Posted by FerrariF60

glad to see someone optimistic......ill believe it when i see it.....IF ILL SEE IT.....

If the dispositional state of your mind is entirely dependent on your visual perception, then they're lot of things out there that you're gonna miss out. We do know black hole exists, even if we can't see it. And it's just one example out of many.

And there is nothing wrong with a bit of optimism.

**jgonzalesm6** · 27th February 2021, 20:50

Originally Posted by tifosi1993

If the dispositional state of your mind is entirely dependent on your visual perception, then they're lot of things out there that you're gonna miss out. We do know black hole exists, even if we can't see it. And it's just one example out of many.

And there is nothing wrong with a bit of optimism.

I believe he is basing his pessimism against Ferrari on historical events for the past decade.....as am I.

And if anyone believes that Ferrari has a car problem, they are sadly mistaken. Ferrari has issues behind the pit wall as well....but I degress.

**FerrariF60** · 27th February 2021, 23:03

Originally Posted by jgonzalesm6

I believe he is basing his pessimism against Ferrari on historical events for the past decade.....as am I.

And if anyone believes that Ferrari has a car problem, they are sadly mistaken. Ferrari has issues behind the pit wall as well....but I degress.

EXACTLY.......i've learned my lesson to NOT be so hyped up full of optimism as i've been year over year for the past......well since 2009.....and always hoping that ferrari maybe JUST ONCE would prove me wrong and finally come out with a fast car out of the box and win races and maintain a good form of speed throughout the year.....only for me to be disappointed year over year like i said.....

so yeah, I'LL BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT.......so for now i'm lowering my expectation ALL THE WAY DOWN.....and if by some miracle ferrari will prove me wrong.....hey, i'll embrace it with all my heart

**Silent Bob** · 28th February 2021, 01:39

Originally Posted by Liscia

I join you in the wilderness Bob. My fingers crossed Charles gets a win or two by tactics or whatever means if not by outright superiority on the track.

Win for Leclerc first race. Called it.

**tifosi1993** · 28th February 2021, 05:07

Originally Posted by FerrariF60

EXACTLY.......i've learned my lesson to NOT be so hyped up full of optimism as i've been year over year for the past......well since 2009.....and always hoping that ferrari maybe JUST ONCE would prove me wrong and finally come out with a fast car out of the box and win races and maintain a good form of speed throughout the year.....only for me to be disappointed year over year like i said.....

so yeah, I'LL BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT.......so for now i'm lowering my expectation ALL THE WAY DOWN.....and if by some miracle ferrari will prove me wrong.....hey, i'll embrace it with all my heart

In the past decade, Ferrari has challenged for titles four times. It was the only team to challenge RedBull during the RedBull domination years, it was the only team to challenge Mercedes during this current Mercedes domination era.

And 2017 and 2018 weren't that long ago. Ferrari started both those years with the fastest car. 2019 wasn't good but it wasn't terrible either. Ferrari was in the battle of pole positions and race wins in most races, bar a few. With a bit more luck and good strategy, Leclerc would've easily won 6 races in 2019, 8 if he hadn't made mistakes in Baku and Germany.

2020 was bad and the reasons were obvious. I'm not expecting another repeat of last year.

This year's engine is going to be very strong and the aero will be more efficient. And if Ferrari is able to maintain the strong points of SF1000, it's cornering speed and stability, then I'm sure we're going to have a very good year. We also have Leclerc, a generational talent and the fastest guy in F1.

**nani_s23** · 28th February 2021, 13:55

Expecting P3 or P4 in standings given we have one consistent & another strong driver.
I feel ferrari would lead the mid pack team.

Just bold predictions (anything can change except No.1)
1.Merc
2. RB
3. Ferrari/Merc-Mclaren/Merc-Aston Martin/Renault
4. Ferrari/Merc-Mclaren/Merc-Aston Martin/Renault
5. Ferrari/Merc-Mclaren/Merc-Aston Martin/Renault
6. Ferrari/Merc-Mclaren/Merc-Aston Martin/Renault
7. Alfa T
8. Alfa R
9. Haas
10. Williams

Tough fight between Ferrari/Mclaren/Aston Martin & Renault...!!

**Silent Bob** · 28th February 2021, 15:41

I think Alfa will outpace Alpha this year. Think Gio will have a banner year.

**jgonzalesm6** · 28th February 2021, 15:54

Originally Posted by Silent Bob

I think Alfa will outpace Alpha this year. Think Gio will have a banner year.

I doubt it. Gasly had a banner year in 2020. Tsunoda is the question mark??

Kimi and GIO were'nt even close to Gasly in total points combined in 2020.

**wisepie** · 28th February 2021, 16:55

Originally Posted by Silent Bob

I think Alfa will outpace Alpha this year. Think Gio will have a banner year.

A nice thought, second only to my wanting a top class effort from Ferrari the team!

**Tifoso** · 28th February 2021, 18:45

Let’s win. It’s our turn.

**Tifoso** · 28th February 2021, 20:19

I haven’t been this excited about a launch in years.
Forsaken Ferrari!

**Silent Bob** · 28th February 2021, 20:28

Originally Posted by jgonzalesm6

I doubt it. Gasly had a banner year in 2020. Tsunoda is the question mark??

Kimi and GIO were'nt even close to Gasly in total points combined in 2020.

Well I think we know the reason for that. I think with better power that Alfa will be pretty good. It was better then Ferrari in some races last year and at times.running pretty high until power unit let them down.

Thread: SF21 Challenger Thread

Thread Tools

Search Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions