"It cannot be that Ferrari is not competing for race victories and titles," says Mercedes boss Toto Wolff; Ferrari are without a race win since 2019 and a title since 2008 - but can F1's new rules bring them back into the fight?
Monday 21 February 2022 18:09, UK
Toto Wolff says he hopes Ferrari are back fighting for race wins and titles this season as Mercedes have "missed them" at the front, while he also insists he's "not discounting any teams" in Formula 1 2022.
F1 is on the brink of a revolutionary new era with the first pre-season test starting on Wednesday, giving teams a first look at their car and the competition, and fans a first glimpse of a potentially new pecking order.
One team that have been tipped to benefit from the fresh slate of all-new rules are Ferrari, as while the sport's most successful team have slipped back to the midfield in recent years, they have the resources and talent to bounce back.
And Wolff, team boss of Mercedes, says F1 "needs" the famous red fighting back towards the front, with the Scuderia without a win since 2019 and a title since 2008.
"As a fan, I love Ferrari," said Wolff. "They are the greatest name in Formula 1, and it cannot be that Ferrari is not competing for race victories and titles.
"Winning championships is something different, many things have come together to achieve that but I think for all of us fans of the sport, Ferrari needs to be in the mix."
Mercedes won all eight constructors' titles in the hybrid era, but in most of those years battled Ferrari fiercely.
"We have missed them in the last few years," added Wolff. "The passion of everyone at Ferrari and also for the Tifosi in Italy, it's important to see that the car is competitive.
"So I hope there will be a few teams this year able to win races, fighting hard on track."
The new technical regulations, which have been introduced in a bid to improve wheel-to-wheel racing, coupled with a budget cap for all teams has the potential to make F1 a much more competitive prospect this year.
While Mercedes still go into the season as favourites, Wolff is acutely aware that any team could have stolen a march.
"Personally, I'm not discounting any teams," he said. "Everybody could be high up in the standings at the beginning of the season.
"You've seen in 2009 with the double diffuser, if a team has innovated and discovered other opportunities that could be game changers, everyone could be ahead of the game."
