Ferrari said they were aiming
to bag the top prize after presenting their new race car for the
2016 Formula One season, the SF16-H, at their Maranello
headquarters near Modena on Friday.
The Italian glamour team are aiming to challenge Mercedes'
two-year dominance of the sport and end a long title drought.
Ferrari's last constructor's championship win dates to 2008
and the last drivers' title goes back to when Finn Kimi
Raikkonen won in 2007 during his first stint with the team.
"Last year the goal was to win three races and we got that,
this year we have to aim a little higher and try to win the
championship," Ferrari Team Principle Maurizio Arrivabene said
at the presentation.
"It won't be easy. The competitors won't be sitting on the
fence".
The SF16-H has more white than usual mixed in with
Ferrari's distinctive red, recalling the team's race cars of the
1970s.
It also has a higher, shorter nose than its predecessor and
a very tightly packaged rear thanks to a more compact power
unit.
But these are only the most noticeable differences in a car
that has been revised in almost every way with respect to the
2015 model.
"Back in 2013 we were not at the right level - not enough
power, downforce, kinematics," said Ferrari Technical Chief
James Allison.
"We have worked very hard on all those areas.
"Last year was a decent step forward, and we hope this car
gives us another good step forward and makes us truly
competitive.
"It isn't down to one area: we have improved across the
board. All our hopes are in this car."
Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel said Friday that he was
hopeful the Italian team's new car will be competitive in the
2016 season.
"Last season there was a difficult period, there were
expectations and difficulties. There's no denying it," said the
German, who won four consecutive world titles with Red Bull
between 2010 and 2013.
"But this year should be great. It will be more powerful
than last year.
"It (the SF16-H) is beautiful. There has been continuous
development and this will keep going. I can't wait to get on the
track and I think we'll have a great start".
Vettel's team mate Raikkonen was hopeful too.
"It's exciting to see the new car come alive and obviously
we have a lot of expectations for the new car and it looks
great, but we have to wait until we get to the circuit and get
some laps done," he said.
"Hopefully it will give us a lot of success".
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