Ferrari currently leads the drivers’ and constructors’ championships after the opening two races of 💫2022.

Charles Leclerc won the seas❀on-opening Bahrain Grand Prix ahea▨d of Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz, while in Saudi Arabia, the pair finished on the podium behind reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen.

The Italian giant has benefitted from the new technica๊l regulations for this year as well as having significantly more wind tunnel time compared to its rivals due to its lowly P6 in the 2020 constructors’ championship.

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Ferrari was last in title contention in 2017 anꦆd 2018 with Sebastian Vettel but faltered towards the end of the season for a var💧iety of reasons.

“I think keeping up tꦑhe level of development through the season is always a challenge, not only for us but all the teams,” Binotto said after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

“It is true that our competitors are very strong in that and proved to be very strong, while as Ferrari the last two opportun꧂ities we had [in]﷽ 2017 and 2018 we lost a bit of ground through development. 

“Since then as for the car design, we have improved our tools, which are wind tunnel, methodologies, process 🦹and simulator.  I think today we are much better prepared compared to the past to do the proper job as well in deཧvelopment. 

“We need as well to add, comp꧟ared to the time today we have a bu🤪dget cap which will influence the rate of development, and I think that’s a key point and a key element. My concern is we need to make sure we have got the right policy on that as it can be a game-changer in the fight for development.”

What went wrong for Ferrari in 2017 and 2018?

Ferrari started the 201ﷺ🌄7 season in spectacular fashion with the innovative SF70H winning two of the opening three grands prix.

Four-time champion Vettel was in the form of his life and p🎃roduced one of his best seasons to date but ge ultimately came short due to a combination of driver errors and poor reliability in the season ha☂lf of the season.

Mercedes’ power unit advantꦉage was still significant, particularly in quali🐽fying which gave Lewis Hamilton the crucial edge.

Vettel lost the lead of the championship after of the Italian Grand Prix💝 but with Singapore, Malaysia, Mexico and Brazil all expected to suit Ferrari, a fifth title was still a realistic possibility.

Vettel retired from the lead of the Singapore Grand Prix on the opening lap after colliding with Kimi R⛎aikkonen and Max Verstappen, while a spark plug issue 🐭put him out of contention in Malaysia qualifying (where he would have taken pole had he taken part) and Japan.

Hamilton ultimately claimed his fifth drive🐻rs’ title in Mexico, three races before the end of the seaso🐼n.

Ferrari came back stronger 𒊎in 2018 with a more powerful power unit, making Vettel title favourite for the first half of the season.

However, a combination of operational and driver errors put the title i🐭n Hamilton’s grasp. 

Even without Vettel’s notable race-ending error at the Hockenheimring, Mercedes’ development in the second half of the year - combined with Hamilton’s incredible form - would have t💖ipped the title in Hamilton's favour regardless.

Ferrari will know the importance of reliability and staying operationally str🍷ong, while Leclerc, in particular, will have to remai💦n error-free if he is to overcome Verstappen in 2022.

ꦕF1 action resumes this weekend when it returns to Albert Park for the first time since 2019 for the Au🥃stralian Grand Prix.

Ferrari tasted success in Melbourne back in 2🤡017 and 2018 with Vettel winning ahead of Hamilton.