Mattia Binotto says he is looking towards the battle between Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in F1 2022 along with a comeback for the Spaniard.
With Ferrari naturally on top of the standings, it is certain that Leclerc and Sainz will have a direct fight at some stage of the season. So far, the duo haven’t matched each other at the same level in the races, but team boss Binotto is looking forward to their tussle.
The Italian notes they will allow them to race freely. While acknowledging the position they are in, Binotto is cautious to take them as certain winners since only three races have been completed so far and there are 20 more to go for the tables to turn.
“They’re free to fight and I think that’s important for us,” said Binotto to TV media. “For Carlos, I think it will be important for him to prove the speed and the pace and he will come back and I will enjoy them to battle for for a good position in the championships. But I have to say, we are not managing the championship right now.
“It’s only three races, we stay focused in each single race and that I think is the way we will approach. We know that in order to do a good weekend and to win you need to be perfect. It has been the case in Bahrain because it’s always very tight.
“We have not been perfect in Jeddah and we lost. I think Australia was been a great weekend but as I said, we need to approach each race as it comes and try to do the best and that’s the way we’ll approach Imola and the following one,” summed up Binotto, who is more eager to see Sainz make a comeback as he alluded to above.
The Spaniard looked good in the first part of the Australian weekend, but issues in qualifying left him at the fag end of the Top 10. In a bid to come through quickly, Sainz spun himself out. Team boss Binotto has full faith on him though.
“Carlos was certainly pretty disappointed,” said Binotto. “I think we understand this is a disappointment because it was important for him to prove that he was fast again in Australia. He was very fast on Friday, he was fast on Saturday morning. He could have done a good qualifying and then there were circumstance where he has been maybe a bit unlucky.
“When you lose such, let me say concentration or focus and to be P9 on the grid, facing a problem with the steering wheel, starting on hard tyres, obviously those things should not happen but they happen but I know Carlos, he will come back, that’s a lesson
learned. I’m pretty sure that will come back very strong and I’m just looking forward to Imola to see his pace and his speed,” summed up Binotto.
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