Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto does not believe Silverstone’s layout will suit the squad’s SF90, but has stressed that the “balance of power” can quickly shift.
Ferrari has not won a grand prix this year but has been in contention at a handful of events, most prominently circuits which place a greater emphasis on straight-line speed, taking pole in Bahrain, Canada and Austria.
But on all three occasions a victory slipped through its grasp in the closing phases, while elsewhere it has been unable to keep up with Mercedes’ pace.
The layout of the Red Bull Ring, with full-throttle sections punctuated by heavy traction zones, suited Ferrari’s car, while main rival Mercedes was slowed by the exceptionally hot weather.
Binotto does not believe that Ferrari will be able to carry the same level of performance into this weekend’s round in Britain.
“Silverstone is one of the toughest tracks of the season, providing a real test of a car’s set-up and balance,” said Binotto.
“Tyres also come under a lot of strain here and the amount they wear plays a key role in how your race pans out.
“We do not expect Silverstone to suit our car particularly well, but at every race, we have seen that the balance of power can change, often unexpectedly.
“For the British Grand Prix we are bringing a further small aerodynamic modification as we continue to push hard on the development of our car.
“The weekend will also be an opportunity to increase our understanding of the recent work we did, which has seen us close the gap to our competitors on specific types of track.”
Sebastian Vettel claimed victory at Silverstone 12 months ago, nine years after his previous win at the venue.
“There is one of the most epic corner sequences in Formula 1 on this circuit, with Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel leading onto the Hangar Straight,” said Vettel.
“I think every driver enjoys that part and I certainly do.
“We won there last year and it is also the place where Ferrari took its first race win in Formula 1 a long way back, so there is plenty of history there for all of us at Ferrari.”
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