Mattia Binotto confident he has the "best F1 driver pairing" at Ferrari

Ahead of their first home race of the season, Ferrari have confirmed that Carlos Sainz will stay at the team until at least the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season. Team boss Mattia Binotto is confident he has the "best driver lineup" in Formula 1. 

Ferrari have been stuck in the doldrums for quite some time. Equipped with new rules and regulations, Ferrari have finally climbed out of a hole and look to be the favourites for the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship. Charles Leclerc has already been in the team since 2019 and was joined by Sainz for the 2021 season. Binotto reveals he is pleased to stick with the same pairing. 

Best pair

"I have said several times that I believe we have the best driver pairing in Formula 1 and so, with every passing race, it seemed a completely natural step to extend Carlos’ contract, thus ensuring stability and continuity. In his time so far with the team, he has proved to have the talent we expected from him, delivering impressive results and making the most of all opportunities," Binotto said in the press release. 

"Outside the car, he is a hard worker with an eye for the smallest detail, which has helped the whole group to improve and progress. Together, we can aim for ambitious targets and I’m sure that, along with Charles, he can play a significant part in fuelling the Ferrari legend and will write new chapters in the history of our team," he concluded. 

Last time out in Australia, Sainz had a nightmare of a weekend. After being unlucky with red flags in his first run in Q3, Sainz then had a problem in the garage which meant he could only start in P9 on the grid. The Spaniard had a poor start off the line and dropped back through the field before eventually ending up in the gravel trap. Sainz will be looking to make amens and search for his first win in this weekend's Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.