Binotto: 'Mercedes has now made two mistakes and no one is falling over it'

Ferrari will soon want to forget the Mexican Grand Prix. The team chose the right strategy with the softs and mediums, but Carlos Sainz finished almost a full minute behind race winner Max Verstappen. Mattia Binotto admits Ferrari was forced to compromise.

On Saturday, Ferrari was over half a second away from pole position, while the team drove in no man's land in the race. Speaking to Auto, Motor und Sport, Binotto admits that the team could not perform optimally in thin air because of the small turbocharger. This forced Ferrari to reduce engine power.

According to the Italians, poor performance is therefore a one-off. Carlos Sainz still managed pole position in the previous race in Austin. "I don't see a negative trend there. Mexico was an outlier", Binotto tells the German medium. Yet engine power was not the only reason why Ferrari was so far behind Red Bull Racing and Mercedes. "In other areas, too, we were not in the comfort zone and we have to ask ourselves what the reasons are for that", the Ferrari team boss continues.

'At Ferrari, mistakes are criticised twice over'

Tactically, the team was happy with the performance though. Ferrari chose the same strategy as Red Bull, which ultimately proved to be the right choice. There have been many times this season when Ferrari ruined its own race because of the wrong strategy. "Mercedes has now made two mistakes in tyre choice and nobody is falling over it. At Ferrari, mistakes are always criticised twice as hard," Binotto believes.

The team has to reckon with Mercedes in the final two races of the season. Ferrari is currently second in the constructors' championship, but Mercedes is only 40 points behind. Therefore, Binotto says it is still important for Ferrari to regain its old form in Brazil and Abu Dhabi. "Mercedes has developed their car more aggressively recently. We stepped out earlier and focused completely on 2023."