Ferrari expects SF90 ‘corrections’ to bear fruit in Bahrain

Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto expects the squad to put in a more competitive showing in Bahrain, having undertaken “corrections” to its SF90.

Ferrari set the pace during pre-season testing and was widely tipped to lead the way in Australia, but was unable to muster a challenge throughout the weekend.

Sebastian Vettel qualified seven-tenths behind pole sitter Lewis Hamilton and managed only fourth in the race, almost a minute down on winner Valtteri Bottas, as new team-mate Charles Leclerc obeyed an instruction to retain fifth.

Ferrari was unable to offer an explanation for its lack of pace in the immediate aftermath of the race, with Vettel revealing that the SF90 did not have the same feeling as during pre-season testing.

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“In Bahrain, as a team, we will have to ensure that we have understood and rectified the areas where we were weak in Australia, which therefore meant we were unable to fully exploit our car’s potential,” said Binotto.

“We expect to see the effect of the corrections we have made.

“We are well aware that our competitors will once again be very strong.

“With that in mind, we are keen to get back on track and face up to them.”

Ferrari is the most successful team at the Bahrain Grand Prix, having triumphed six times at the event, adding to its tally in both 2017 and 2018 courtesy of Vettel.

“It is hard to find the right rhythm in the desert, mainly because of the sand that the wind blows onto the track,” said Vettel, previewing the event.

“Therefore every lap is different, which can be a decisive factor, especially in qualifying.

“If you move just a few inches off the ideal line, you start to slide and you can throw your lap in the bin, because you just can’t make up the time you lose at this point.

“Therefore, the rate of mistakes is significantly higher than at other circuits.”