Ferrari chairman John Elkann has told fans that the team will return to the summit of both Formula 1 championships in the coming years.
The once-great Italian team has resembled something of a sleeping giant in recent seasons. The 2020 campaign was a particularly low point, as they finished sixth in the constructors' standings and looked a mere shadow of their former selves.
The way they started this season had Ferrari fans dreaming again. But while the pace has generally always been there, a combination of driver errors, strategy blunders and a lack of engine reliability has undone their challenge and allowed Red Bull to take a secure grip of both championships.
While only a miracle could see Ferrari finish at the top of the charts this season, Elkann insists he is confident the team will return to the summer of the sport and achieve something it hasn't since Kimi Raikkonen guided a red car to the drivers' title in 2007.
"I have faith that between now and 2026 Ferrari will win a constructors' and a drivers' championship again," the businessman told Gazzetta dello Sport. "We'll do it before we reach 20 years of starvation... we're lucky to have two great drivers at the wheel, probably the strongest pair in Formula 1."
A major part of Ferrari's problem has been inferior strategy and ability to adapt mid-race compared to razor-sharp Red Bull. Those ongoing issues have placed team principal Mattia Binotto under pressure, But Elkann placed his full confidence in the Italian to turn things around.
"Satisfied no, because I think you can always do better. But I believe having shown faith in Binotto and his team was the right decision and has paid off," he added. "Thanks to him we've returned to being competitive."
And on the subject of their errors, Binotto knows there is work to be done, but feels confident that it will be sorted ahead of another title push next year. "Ferrari has done I think an enormous development in terms of performance from the last season to this one and if you look back for Ferrari you need to look back years to see such a development," he told reporters.
"But there are still situations, first reliability because unreliability cost us at least a couple of victories and in order to win the championship you need to be reliable. Certainly we are aware that still there are certain steps of improvement which are required to win the championship... We are all working hard so that it happens as soon as possible."
