Ferrari was involved in plenty of controversy with respect to its 2019 engine. While the team was able to compete against the likes of Mercedes, there was doubt that the Italian outfit was using excess fuel and thereby circumventing FIA regulations.
At the time, Red Bull had led the charge against Ferrari and filed a formal complaint which necessitated FIA to take a closer look at the engine.
And extensive investigation led to a conclusion that the engine was neither legal nor illegal.
This, according to former F1 driver Mika Salo, has led to Ferrari’s recent struggles.
On his Twitch stream, Salo declared that FIA did in fact punish Ferrari.
The direct result has been felt by the team and its customer teams in Alfa Romeo and Haas.
This is what Mika Salo said about Ferrari's punishment in an interview on his Twitch channel.
— Floris Visman (@FlorisVisman) February 23, 2021
Incredible if true. (translation by @jktoppari) pic.twitter.com/1G7IJYewff
“The team has suffered from the wrongdoing of Ferrari in 2019. They have been forced to use less fuel, so Alfa Romeo may be in a good position if they can perform at their best in the race this season,” he said.
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Salo continued by stating that Alfa Romeo might perform to its full potential this year.
“I do not know if they will have a new engine for 2021. But at least, Alfa Romeo will allow them to get all the power. They were not allowed last year because of Ferrari,” he said.
Given the fact that Salo was an FIA commissioner in 2020, this may hold true. His close ties with Kimi Raikkonen may also point towards the fact that he has a good understanding of what went on behind the scenes.
This information makes it easier to understand the struggles of Ferrari-powered cars in 2020. Ferrari’s fall from second place in the constructors’ championship in 2019 to sixth last year only makes the argument stronger.
Given the fact that the team will be able to run its engine at full capacity this season augurs well.
It is not beyond the realm of possibility that Ferrari could well be battling it out right at the top of the standings in the upcoming season.