Ferrari denies getting early start with 2022 car

Ferrari has hit back at claims its early 2022 advantage is due to getting a ’head start’ with the all-new regulations.

The conventional wisdom is that while Red Bull and Mercedes were warring over the 2021 title, Ferrari was already hard at work on the now championship-leading scarlet car.

"No, that’s completely wrong," team boss Mattia Binotto insisted to Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

"According to the rules, everyone was only allowed to start working in the wind tunnel and simulator on January 1 2021. We may have put more focus on 2022, but we all started from the same point and just did a good job.

"I don’t think we have an advantage over the others," the Italian added. "Whoever has the advantage will only become clear after five races.

"But we have scored 78 points out of a possible 88 so far which is definitely a significant number to be happy about."

Leading the drivers’ standings for Ferrari is 24-year-old Charles Leclerc, and Binotto thinks the Monaco-born star has what it takes to be world champion.

"But that’s just what we expected," he said.

"When we extended his contract to 2024, we did it because we know he can fight for the title."