Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto conceded the team does not yet understand where or how it was lacking in performance compared to Mercedes at Formula 1’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
Ferrari set the quickest time during pre-season testing, with its SF90 appearing compliant on-track at Barcelona, but in Melbourne Mercedes dominated the entirety of the weekend’s action.
Lewis Hamilton led all three practice sessions and qualifying while Valtteri Bottas controlled the race to head a Mercedes 1-2.
Ferrari was unable to even muster a podium finish, with 2017 and 2018 winner Sebastian Vettel passed by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, leaving the German fourth.
Charles Leclerc obeyed a team instruction to hold position and came home fifth on his Ferrari debut.
"You are right, it’s not what we were expecting," explained Binotto to the media post-race.
"I think winter testing was certainly different. Since Friday FP1, we never found the right balance on the car, and we struggled with the tyres.
"We tried a different set-up approach during the weekend, but I have to say that we never had the right balance, [it was] unhappy in qualifying yesterday, and then obviously after you are in parc ferme and that is what you’ve got.
"I think the performance of today is simply reflecting what we had yesterday in qualifying as well.
"Generally speaking, we didn’t find the right balance through the weekend, and we were lacking grip.
"Did we understand that yet? Probably not. That’s something we need to go back and analyse all the data and try to assess really what happened."
Binotto stressed that Ferrari’s Australia display is not reflective of what the team feels is possible with its SF90.
"It’s something that we need to try and understand," he said.
"One thing that we are certain of today and this weekend is that it is not the real potential of our car.
"We are pretty sure that the potential is certainly bigger, and we have not been able to exploit it through the weekend."
