Binotto stays in Italy during the Turkish Grand Prix

Mattia Binotto will not be present for Ferrari at the Turkish Grand Prix. The team boss will stay at the factory where he and his team will put more emphasis on the car for 2021 and 2022. Laurent Mekies will take over the honours at the circuit.

For Ferrari, 2020 is a season to forget quickly. After a season in which it was accused of foul play and then came up with a rule to prevent this foul play, this year the Italians are very much out of the picture with their sixth place in the constructors' championship. Binotto wants to divide his attention and make sure next season's results are better.

This means that there is a void in the paddock because Ferrari's team boss needs to be replaced. ''Mattia approaches his role in a very innovative way and always thinks 'out of the box'. He has devised a method in which you can work more flexibly. He already did this as technical director," says Mekies to Formula1.com.

''In the beginning, it may take some getting used to the fact that he's not physically present, but with modern technology we'll still be able to hear his voice loud and clear. However, it will not be an easy weekend for us in Turkey. We are trying to take the small steps forward from the last races to close the gap to the top," concludes the sports director of Ferrari.