There were many rumours and murmurs which claimed that Ferrari had been cheating with its 2019 engine. And when the team was unstoppable on tracks that were power-hungry in 2019, a sudden technical regulation change triggered by an investigation by the FIA caused a massive loss in power which was one of the main reasons why Ferrari and its customer teams have such a massive drop off in performance in 2020. Ferrari at the start of the 2020 season announced a secretive agreement with Formula 1, but no one technically accused Ferrari of cheating. Now, former F1 driver and F1 Stewart Mika Salo has told Finnish rally driver Kristian Sohlberg that the agreement with the authorities predicated some penalties on the great Italian team.
Ferrari had its worst season in F1 in 40 years and came P6 in the constructors
Salo revealed that FIA punished Ferrari and its customer teams by forcing them to use less fuel which was one of the main reasons behind the loss of power. "They suffered from Ferrari's cheat last year because they had Ferrari engines and were forced to use less fuel, so I think so Alfa Romeo may be in a good position if they can perform at their best in the race this season," said Salo speaking of the chances of the Alfa Romeo team which is using a new Ferrari power unit.
"So Ferrari's getting out a new engine, right?," asked Sohlberg.
"I don't know if it's a new engine but they're allowed to use it to its full power. They were not allowed last year because of Ferrari," Salo clarified.
The new Alfa Romeo car has also got a new Ferrari power unit
While Salo might right, it is also true that Ferrari is bringing an all-new power unit in 2021 and might also have a new one for 2022. Alfa Romeo boss Fred Vasseur and Ferrari chief Mattia Binotto have already stated that Ferrari will have a competitive power unit in 2021 which will not be the worst on the grid.
