Formula 1

F1: Ferrari Chief Believes It’s Their Turn For Upgrades Now

Mattia Binotto has given his verdict on Ferrari’s current position in the championship, whilst also expressing his belief that Red Bull cannot continue to develop at this rate.

Ferrari’s Team Principal told the media in Miami that he is pleased with the team’s progress, though he admits Red Bull has taken many steps forward:

“It’s true that Red Bull improved their car. Since the very start of the season they introduced upgrades.,,

There is as well a budget cap. I hope that at some stage Red Bull will stop development. Otherwise, I will not understand how they can do that”.

Red Bull should take these quotes as great compliments, as Binotto seems convinced their rate of development cannot be sustained at this level with a budget cap in place.

There is no doubt that Red Bull has made impressive progress throughout the season, most recently taking consecutive victories with Max Verstappen.

Concerns still remain though, as Sergio Perez again experienced reliability issues at the Miami GP. Ferrari and Red Bull have been evenly matched over the first five races in terms of raw performance, but reliability has persisted as Red Bull’s most glaring weakness.

Ferrari’s philosophy to start the season has consisted of a conservative approach, guaranteeing reliability before putting emphasis on performance.

However, with Red Bull breathing down the Scuderia’s neck, Ferrari will be forced to match the output of the Austrian team. Mattia Binotto is confident this is achievable for Ferrari:

“But let’s say that in the next races it will be at least our turn to try to develop the car as much as we can and introduce upgrades.”

The Spanish GP presents the best opportunity for Ferrari’s response, though it is true the majority of the field also will bring upgrades at this event.

Still, not all updates will have the same level of effectiveness, and it will therefore be crucial for Ferrari to ensure they can extract more performance if they are to stop Red Bull’s momentum.

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