Lewis Hamilton has identified the engine as the "number one" priority for Ferrari if they are to put him in a position to challenge for more championship glory next year. The seven-time world champion joined the Scuderia hoping to win an eighth, but will finish his second season in red as, at best, runner-up.
Heading into this weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix, Hamilton is third in the standings and only one point behind George Russell, but both of them are going to miss out on the ultimate prize with Kimi Antonelli likely to be crowned world champion this Sunday.
Ferrari's season of near misses
Mercedes have undoubtedly been the best team over the whole season, but Ferrari have had their moments. Hamilton was the first non-Mercedes driver to win when he took victory in Barcelona, while team-mate Charles Leclerc was victorious two rounds later at Silverstone.
It looked as though the Scuderia would kick on from there, but they haven't. A difficult run in the rounds after the summer break saw them slip behind McLaren in the competitive order for a time, while Red Bull have also won multiple races.
Ferrari have had their chances, but have failed to take them. Most notably, they were quickest in all three practice sessions in Austin last weekend but didn't get the job done in qualifying. Their race pace was strong, but not enough to make up for starting lower down the grid than they should have.
Hamilton's focus on the power unit
Speaking ahead of this Sunday's race in Mexico City, Hamilton said he is keen to finish the season "on a high". And, looking ahead to next year, he is keen for his team to deliver in the one area where Ferrari have been unquestionably inferior to both Mercedes and Red Bull this season.
The 41-year-old said: "I'm really focused right now on next year's car, looking at the good things from this year and making sure we don't lose them, but instead add to the chassis. And then, of course, in the background, I'm pushing as hard as I can to make sure we come with a power unit that can compete with Mercedes and Red Bull.
"Of course, I would love for us to finish on a high. I think the team deserves it and everyone at the factory deserves it. We'll be trying to get the absolute best and most out of every weekend."
The engine is probably number one [priority]. We've got reliability, which is good. But if we were matching the power of the others we would be fighting for the championship this year, which we know. So rectifying that and closing the gap is important.
"I know everyone is working flat out at the factory to try to do that, and I trust them completely in that process. It won't be easy, but it's possible. And then with the car, you always want more downforce. You're always looking for a wider window in which the car works better. At the moment, it's quite narrow. When you get it right, it's good, but it's very narrow and you're in and out of it."
Altitude could play into Ferrari's hands
Russell name-checked Ferrari when assessing who might be the best performers at high altitude this weekend. The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in the Mexican capital sits around 2,200 metres above sea level and that could play into the Scuderia's hands by limiting the effectiveness of the Mercedes and Red Bull engines which will be oxygen-deprived at that height.
Leclerc disagreed, saying he felt Mercedes are still the benchmark, but did say there could be an opportunity for his team this weekend. He said: "It's getting very close and we have good momentum with Singapore and Austin. We have maximised our potential and I was relatively happy with the pace we've shown.
"Whether we are the favourites this weekend, I don't fully agree, I think Mercedes remain the favourites wherever we go. I think Red Bull are very strong recently, but if we maximise everything we have, then I hope it can be a great weekend for us.
"As we've seen, I think the optimisation of our package is what eventually will make most difference. It's so difficult to put everything in the right window coming into qualifying that if we manage to do so, then I think we've got a chance here, but for that we've got to be perfect."
