Binotto: Monza PU upgrade will be a significant step

While the Scuderia endures a Formula 1 winless streak stretching almost two years, with a car that has not been kind to Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz whose development has all but seized, team boss Mattia Binotto is nevertheless confident there will be a noticeable difference.

Speaking during the summer break, Binotto spoke of what is planned in an interview with Gazzetta Motori: “We will bring power unit developments.

“To clarify what are the 2021 regulations: we can have a brand new power unit for 2021, which means we may bring an update in all the components of the power unit, whatever it is ICE, turbo, MGU-H, batteries, MGU-K, etc.

“What we did at the start of the season, is we didn't finish the full power unit. There are still components which are from last year and we will bring an evolution of those ones. So, that will be a significant step for us for the second half of the season.”

Ferrari have traditionally 'turned-it-up' for their home races, especially at Monza where Binotto is bracing for more pain: “It'll be a difficult race for us, because we are seven-tenths short off the best and most of these tenths, at least 60 percent, comes from the engine.

“We are lacking compared to the best and therefore we consider ourselves to be behind Mercedes and Honda at the moment. On a track like Spa, if you look at our simulations, where the engine matters so much and on a qualifying laps I think the difference will be significant," predicted the Ferrari team boss.

Headin to Round 12 at the end of the month in Belgium, neither Sainz nor Leclerc are title contenders, the focus for the 2021 title race is on the battle between Ferrari rivals Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull).

Of the contest, Binotto said: "It's an exciting challenge between two great drivers. I hope they fight to the end. If I had to bet, I'd bet on Lewis, because I think Mercedes will win. But I'm rooting for Max. It would serve F1 well to break the status quo."