Sainz: 'Midfield will be even closer in the last races'

Ferrari is currently third in the Constructors' Championship with a lead of 39.5 points, but Carlos Sainz and Mattia Binotto both think that the team can't celebrate too soon.

In Qatar, the team again managed to score more points than McLaren and extend their lead. Sainz finished seventh and Charles Leclerc eighth. The next two races could be a challenge for the Italian team and that makes them hesitant to celebrate.

The Saudi Arabia Grand Prix in Jeddah looks set to be run on a high-speed circuit, and on circuits like that the midfield suddenly gets much closer together. "It could be a very tight battle in Jeddah, and in Abu Dhabi with the new changes they’ve done to the circuit, it looks like a higher-speed track — less chicanes, more high-speed nature — and this could also bring the whole midfield pack together. It could be a very tough couple of races," says the Spaniard at Racer.

Binotto happy with progress

Ferrari team boss Binotto doesn't want to celebrate too soon either, but he is already proud of the team and its drivers. Last year the team was sixth in the championship and it looks like they will finish third this year. There was limited opportunity for development due to the frozen parts, but they still managed to take a step in the right direction."Overall I think the team has made great progress (compared to) what was possible; for that I’m happy and yes, the third position is a great output for the effort."