The year of the prancing horse? Why Ferrari fans are cautious over F1 team's 2022 chances

• The Ferrari Formula 1 team looks competitive ahead of the 2022 season.

• Though this is a good sign, the team has gone off the rails in the past despite early performance gains.

• Ferrari has not won the F1 Drivers' championship since 2007.

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Not since the 2012 Formula 1 season has Ferrari been very competitive in Formula 1. Competitive in the sense that the team can compete for both championships on pure outright pace. But even in the seasons that they are competitive, driver error and misjudged strategic calls often put an end to any hope of reigning supreme at the end of a season.

In 2007, with Kimi Raikkonen driving for the team, Ferrari won the Drivers' championship. In 2008, Felipe Massa battled Lewis Hamilton for season's honours, but lost out. In 2010 and 2012, Fernando Alonso challenged Sebastian Vettel for the sport's ultimate prize. In 2017 and 2018, Vettel challenged Hamilton for the gold. So yes, Ferrari has not been entirely uncompetitive since its 2007 glory.

However, Massa, Alonso, and Vettel all failed to secure the gold due to either driver error or misguided strategic calls on the team's end. Whichever way one wants to throw the blame, fans have gradually been losing hope in the once untouchable Italian team.

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Is 2022 the year?

Ferrari's performance and pace is one of the big talking points to have come out of the two pre-season tests. Teams and drivers are adamant that the Scuderia has turned the page in 2022 and that their pace is no fluke. But Ferrari's own is throwing caution to the wind.

Team boss Mattia Binotto said: "At the moment, we cannot yet understand what the values