Ferrari power deficit no longer 'so dramatic' - Binotto

Ferrari's Mattia Binotto says the performance deficit of the Italian outfit's power unit relative to F1's best engine is no longer "so dramatic", a progress that has boosted the Scuderia's confidence.

Ferrari's engine was a weak component of its poor 2020 package. But hard work conducted by the engineers of the House of Maranello ahead of this year's campaign delivered significant improvements, helping the Scuderia regain its footing although wins on merit still remain out of its reach.

In Russia, Ferrari introduced a new hybrid system comprising elements that will be used in 2022. Charles Leclerc was the recipient of the update which was handed one race later to Carlos Sainz in Turkey.

Both drivers were coy on the impact of the upgrade while Binotto was also reluctant to put a number on the performance gains. But in Austin, the Scuderia boss indirectly alluded to a tangible improvement of Ferrari's engine vigor.

"If I look at [the US Grand Prix], we were running maximum downforce but were matching the speed of the others, which if I consider last year the situation this is a big step forward," said Binotto.

"We know there is a gap to the best engine today, but we believe that gap today is not so dramatic let’s say.

"Certainly the help of the power unit was seen in qualifying and the race and that gives me some confidence for the next races."

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Ferrari's turnaround this season has put the team fourth in the Constructors' standings, just 3.5 points behind rival McLaren, with the two outfits locked in a tense battle for third in the championship.

Binotto believes that Ferrari's superior performance relative to McLaren in Austin, on a track that was theoretically better suited to the Woking-based outfit's car, bodes well for the remaining five races of the 2021 season.

"If you look, generally speaking, this season McLaren has been always very competitive in medium to high-speed corners, and again it was the case in Austin," he said.

"If I look at the performance of the weekend we have been ahead of them, and Charles has been half a second average faster than [Daniel] Ricciardo, finishing 25 seconds ahead, so on the balance of the lap we have been clearly faster.

"On paper it was not a circuit which was suiting our car so that’s why I am pleased with the progress in the last races."

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