Ferrari started the 2022 season on a very strong note. Not only did they have the fastest car, but the F1-75 seemed to have great cornering speeds. They made massive gains on the power unit side and with Charles Leclerc in scintillating form, they seemed to be on course to be championship winners. And while they won the season opener in Bahrain and dominated in Australia, things haven’t exactly gone their way since. 

Ferrari remain self-aware amid Championship push

Speaking to the BBC, Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto spoke about the challenges and why Ferrari remains self-aware. He said, “We set our objectives to be back competitive in 2022.” 

“So our objective is to be competitive, not to win the championship, and it would be completely wrong to turn that into: ‘Let’s try to win the championship because we are so competitive.’

Mattia pointed out that becoming competitive is one thing, but winning the world championship is another. Ferrari’s internal mindset is that they want to be a team capable of winning a championship. He stressed, “The ambition is there .” 

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“Each single person working for Ferrari has the ambition. I don’t think I need to remind them. More important is to let them focus on our process of continuous improvement, so each race is an opportunity for lesson-learned review and to build to do something better.”

The Ferrari boss concluded that the team is focused on each and every race. 

Ferrari’s 2022 season until now and what to expect in Baku

A silly mistake in Imola by Leclerc, outpaced by Red Bull in Miami, a gust of wind for Sainz, and a turbo failure for Leclerc in Spain have swung the championship in Red Bull’s favor. And while Ferarri struck back in Monaco with their superior cornering speed, a strategy mess gave way to Red Bull to once again take the top honors at the Principality. It hurt even more for Charles Leclerc, as he could have converted his brilliant pole position into a dominant victory at home in Monaco. 

Sadly, as the events played out, the Monegasque finished fourth behind his championship rival. With the Italian team now firmly on the back foot, it is very critical for them to have a good weekend in Baku. 

It will be a weekend of questions for the Maranello outfit. Baku presents a problem like no other track. With fast straights and slow corners, teams will have to work round the clock to ensure the right setup. And as always wings will be the most important element.  

In theory, low downforce gives the best lap time but higher rear tire degradation. In 2018, Ferrari had a quick car and was able to match the Mercedes with more wings.  With better cornering speeds, will Ferrari run a different setup than before? 

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This race provides a very interesting proposition and Ferrari could be the one to watch out for.