Ferrari won't be able to exploit the assets of its new simulator at the start of the 2020 season, with the Scuderia's hardware expected to be up and running next spring.
Given the constraints on testing implemented for 2020, more resources and time are set to be devoted by teams to simulation programmes, a change which motivated the House of Maranello to replace its current decade-old system, nicknamed "the spider".
However, the introduction in 2021 of F1's budget cap also incited Ferrari to bring forward its multi-million dollar investment in its new, state-of-the-art virtual device.
While the Scuderia initially hoped to rely on its new simulator for the development of its 2020 car from the outset, a delay means the system won't be exploited until the season is well underway.
Ferrari has retained Mahindra Formula E charger Pascal Wehrlein as its simulator driver for the 2020 season.
The Italian outfit is currently the first team scheduled to unveil its 2020 car, with the presentation taking place in Maranello on February 11.
Ferrari enjoyed a strong second half to its 2019 season, winning three races, and with regulations unchanged for 2020, the Scuderia is expected to be once again at the forefront of the title fight.
©Ferrari
However, team boss Mattia Binotto cautioned against the prospect of Ferrari defeating its mighty Mercedes rival.
"To open a winning cycle and to be in front of Mercedes in a stable way, it will still take a few years," Binotto said, quoted by Motorsport.com's Italian website.
"But I know that as Ferrari we always have a moral obligation to try every year. We, therefore, start with the goal of doing very well in 2020, we don’t start to finish second.
"However, if one is to say that the team should reach the maturity and the know-how sufficient and necessary in all aspects to be dominant, it is fair to say that this is not done in two days."
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