Ferrari looks anxiously at Red Bull: 'In that, they are superior'

Ferrari has come out of the 2022 starting lineup strong, but has had to work hard to do so. Mattia Binotto explains why it wasn't so easy to put all the focus on 2022 and why he sees Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen as the biggest threats.

Whereas Red Bull Racing and Mercedes fought until the last race for the world title in 2021, Ferrari was able to shift its attention to 2022 very early on. The Italian team ended up finishing third in the standings, still ahead of McLaren, but that was not what Binotto and his men were about. Still, the Ferrari team boss argues that it was not necessarily a great advantage for his team.

Fears for Red Bull

''That's not how I see it. They (Red Bull and Mercedes) were motivated, where we were on an uphill climb. Being busy with the future while you're getting hit in the face every weekend is not easy. If the competitors are behind now it's because of other reasons, but not because of distractions,'' Binotto said to Corriere della Sera.

Asked which of the two Ferrari fears the most, Binotto is clear: ''Red Bull has the superior capabilities to develop the car.'' What will also play a role is that Red Bull has shown with the RB18 that the speed is indeed there to beat Ferrari, where Mercedes still seems to be quite behind.

No fixed hierarchy at Ferrari

On Thursday morning Ferrari also announced that Carlos Sainz will remain with the team until 2024. This means that the illustrious formation has the two current drivers fixed until 2024. Charles Leclerc is described by Binotto as a leader and a great defender. Sainz dives more into data and, according to Binotto, needs to be given time.

Sainz will get that time with his new contract, but also in this season. The Ferrari team boss has no intention of designating a first and second driver at this point. He argues that both drivers are allowed to show themselves in order to ultimately score as many points as possible. ''If he (Carlos) wins he takes points away from Verstappen, the real rival,'' Binotto said of the reigning world champion.