Ferrari reveal SF21 F1 car with revised livery for 2021

Ferrari has launched the Formula 1 car it hopes will help it recover from its nightmare 2020 campaign and return the Italian squad to competitiveness this year.

The Scuderia became the final F1 team to present its 2021 challenger - the SF21 - to the world on Wednesday, just two days before the start of pre-season testing in Bahrain, which takes place between 12-14 March.

After enduring its worst F1 season in 40 years and slumping to sixth place in the constructors’ championship, scoring just three podium finishes, Ferrari is aiming to bounce back with its updated 2021 car, which features green Mission Winnow branding and two-tone red colourscheme as part of its livery. 

Ferrari enters the upcoming campaign with a revised driver line-up consisting of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, who was signed from McLaren to replace departing four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.

In its bid to move further up the grid this year, Ferrari has introduced an upgraded power unit which it believes has successfully recovered a significant amount of the straightline speed deficit that hampered its performance across 2020.

While significant mechanical elements are being carried over from last season to this one amid a freeze on chassis development in a bid to save costs, teams are permitted to carry out some aerodynamic work, opening the door for Ferrari to address further weaknesses of its draggy SF1000 predecessor. 

Following its challenging 2020 season, the Maranello outfit has also reorganised its chassis department, which will be split into four areas ahead of the new season and comes after the creation of a new performance development department that was devised back in July.

Mattia Binotto remains as team principal but has already confirmed that he will miss some races this year in order to concentrate on Ferrari’s development of its 2022 F1 car. On the weekends Binotto is absent, sporting director Laurent Mekies will take charge of track activities.

All 10 teams have now revealed their updated cars for the 2021 season ahead of pre-season testing in Bahrain, which begins on Friday.

The shortened three-day test takes place two weeks prior to the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on 28 March.