Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto says this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix will provide a test base for the progress it has made with recent updates.
Ferrari has shown strong pace on occasion in 2019 but its weaknesses have been most pronounced through low- and medium-speed corners.
Its deficit was most highlighted through the final sector in Spain, and throughout much of the weekend in Monaco, as it lacked ultimate pace to Mercedes and Red Bull.
Ferrari introduced updates in France and Austria, with varying degrees of success, while at the latter round Charles Leclerc suggested a set-up change had aided front-end feel through slower corners.
After the high-speed power-hungry Silverstone, and a weekend at Hockenheim interrupted by mechanical failures and rain, Binotto believes Budapest will show Ferrari’s progress.
“Budapest is a track where cooling is usually an important factor and where cars run in maximum downforce configuration,” he said.
“The tyres come under a lot of stress, because of the type of corners and that even applies over a single lap in qualifying.
“It will be important to see if this race provides further confirmation that our car has improved on various types of track.
“We will be able to count on the various elements we introduced recently, as well as some aerodynamic updates.
“Of course, we are focusing on resolving our recent reliability problems to ensure they do not occur again.”
Ferrari, yet to win a race this season, holds a distant second in the Constructors’ Championship.
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