Singapore pole position evidence Ferrari development is "going in right direction"

After getting a pole position and almost locking out the front row on a circuit that typically doesn't suit them well at all, Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has praised his team, saying Saturday's result is evidence the SF90's developments are "going in the right direction".

With their blistering pace in a straight line but lack of grip in corners, Ferrari weren't expecting to be competing for either pole position or the win in Singapore, as it is a very bendy track where downforce-heavy cars tend to reign supreme. 

However, much to everyone's surprise, it was the prancing horse that seemed quickest during qualifying, with Charles Leclerc setting the pace in both Q2 and Q3. Leclerc's teammate Sebastian Vettel missed out on P2 by 0.029s at the hands of Lewis Hamilton, who squeezed eight-tenths of performance out of his Mercedes in the final run in the shoot-out to deny Ferrari a famous front-row lock-out.

Still, Binotto was very pleased when asked about how the day went.

“We brought a new aero package here, which proved positive but more importantly, it shows that our development is going in the right direction. We have clearly identified our weaknesses and we are addressing them, which is also useful for next year. I still believe that our rivals are very strong and that we need to improve in some areas but at least we are on the right path.

“Charles set an impressive pole by extracting the maximum from the car, which around here is extremely tricky and he took some risks. He hasn’t put a foot wrong and has improved his confidence throughout the season.

“It was a shame for Sebastian, who had a fantastic first attempt and was doing very well in the second. He could have easily been on the front row and has proved again today that he can be very fast and that’s very important for him."

Still, as the cliché goes, the points are handed out on Sunday, and Ferrari will be desperate to not only get a win but to get both cars scoring good points as they look to continue their winning streak since the summer break.

“The race is tomorrow, we should not forget that, and starting at the front in Singapore is always very important. What we achieved today is very good”.