New-look Ferrari team in the hunt for glory in F1 2019 as Vettel, Leclerc and Binotto help launch "innovative" and "extreme" SF90
Friday 15 February 2019 18:18, UK
Ferrari have unveiled the car they hope will end their title drought and Mercedes' F1 dominance in 2019.
The new Scuderia challenger, the SF90, was launched by Sebastian Vettel and new team-mate Charles Leclerc, radiating the classic Ferrari red as well as splashes of black, and adorned with the iconic prancing horse.
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"I'm really excited and I can't wait to get in," said Vettel.
"I'm looking forward to this year, I think the team is on the right path and hopefully we can continue improving."
Ferrari are the sport's most successful and historic team, but come into the new campaign with fresh youth and vibrancy in Leclerc, who enjoyed a dazzling rookie season at Sauber last year, while they are under new leadership after Mattia Binotto replaced Maurizio Arrivabene as team principal.
"I'm extremely excited to start this new adventure," added Leclerc. "It's a dream since childhood: I've always been looking at the red car hoping to one day be in it. So it's a very emotional day for me.
"I've also been part of the Ferrari driver academy for some years now and that's helped me to develop massively as a driver with the final goal to have this seat, which is now happening."
And Binotto exclaimed: "This is our dream. They are the best two drivers in Formula 1."
Will Ferrari challenge?
Ferrari enjoyed their best season of the past decade last year, and Binotto explained that the "innovative" new car was not a "revolution" from the 2018 challenger.
"We got really good achievements in 2018 and it's a development of last year's car," he said. "We tried to push again to raise the bar and tried to be as extreme as we could."
Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri continued: "Last season was our best one in the past 10 years yet we fell short of our objectives. Such a setback is never easy to swallow but I can assure you we look forward with strong commitment and determination."
Ferrari are under intense pressure having failed to win a title since 2008.
It is the Maranello outfit's second-longest drought in their illustrious history, while they are also up against a Mercedes team who have won five consecutive drivers' and constructors' championships. No team has ever managed six.
Ferrari have pushed Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton close in the last two seasons - and arguably had the better car - but both campaigns ended in disappointing fashion after technical and driver errors.
The Scuderia mounted its strongest championship challenge of the turbo era in 2018, but still lost out to their rivals with a late-season slump that included several high-profile spins from Vettel.
But they head into F1 2019 with renewed optimism.
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New-look team, same objective
Not only will Vettel be desperate to right his wrongs from last season and secure a fifth world championship, and first at Ferrari, but Leclerc, the academy graduate who will become the team's second youngest-ever driver, showed signs of potential stardom in his first F1 year and earned Kimi Raikkonen's seat.
Binotto also has an impressive track record behind the scenes. The Swiss-born engineer, 49, joined the team in 1995 before becoming chief engineer in 2007 and technical director in 2016.
His challenge now is to take Ferrari to the next level and become the first team principal since Jean Todt in 2007 to bring the drivers' world championship back to Maranello.
"Mattia has been part of this team longer than most in the room," said Vettel. "We've worked together in the last five years as well. It will be a new way to work together but I'm looking forward to it.
"With Charles, he's been racing his whole life, it's a big step to join Ferrari but he's also very excited."
Leclerc added: "It's an opportunity to be next to Sebastian and I can definitely learn a lot from him. I'm sure it will be an amazing season. The key will be to work all together, but I'm sure we can make it."
Camilleri, who replaced the late Sergio Marchionne last year, also had his say on the three key members of Ferrari's challenge...
On Binotto
"His career is testament to his exceptional abilities and leadership skills. He knows the Scuderia inside out, is very much a team player, decisive, talented and determined to make a huge difference at all levels.
"I have every confidence he will lead the Scuderia to ever greater heights."
On Vettel
"Despite his four world titles, Sebastian remains as hungry as ever for victory. I know he is totally devoted to achieve his and our ambitions and he knows full well that the entire team will give him their full-hearted support."
On Leclerc
"We are all tremendously excited to have him on board. His sheer talent, maturity and skill were evident to us all last year and we are sure great things await him in the future."
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