Breaking news
Formula 1
Monza not Ferrari's last chance to win in 2019 - Binotto
Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto is adamant his team will still have more chances to win in the remainder of the 2019 Formula 1 season, despite the last two tracks having clearly favoured his cars.
Adam Cooper
Edited: Sep 20, 2019, 10:06 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The low downforce and high-speed nature of Spa and Monza were expected to play to Ferrari's strengths, and the team duly came away with back-to-back victories for Charles Leclerc.
Those are Ferrari's only wins of the year so far, which led to predictions that it would struggle on more conventional track layouts for the rest of the year.
But Binotto pointed to the team's strong pace at other tracks earlier in the season as a sign that it could still challenge for wins elsewhere, while stressing that development was still ongoing and the current balance could change.
"We knew that these ones were tracks where we may have been competitive," he said when asked by Motorsport.com about future form.
Read Also:
"It was not a given, but certainly being power sensitive and having long straights it was important for us.
"It's important for us not to miss any other opportunities as we missed in the first part of the season, and the fact that we capitalised on the strengths of our car in these two races makes us very happy.
"What will be for the next races? I think it can be as good as the first part of the season.
"There will be races as it has been in Germany, as it has been in Canada, Bahrain, where maybe we can still be competitive, and races where the weaknesses of our car will not give us the possibilities to go for the win.
"But it's difficult to guess which one. It's important for us to continue to develop the car, continue to understand it, try to have the best balance, and give our drivers the best opportunities whenever they come.
"There are tracks like the next one [Singapore] where maybe the engine is not so important."
Binotto said the team's impressive straightline form at Monza was not only due to the switch to the latest Spec 3 engine, which the works cars used for the first time.
He believes Ferrari's aero package was an equally big factor.
"I think we should thank not only the new engine, which gives us speed and strength on the straights, but as well I think all the aerodynamic department, because the low downforce package we brought has proved to be a good one for the high speed," Binotto said.
"Certainly the speed you may have seen on the straight is not only down to the engine, but also the aero package we brought."
Asked about specific improvements for Singapore he said: "We are working certainly back in Maranello to add some downforce. Maybe a few bits will be there."
Vettel agreed that Ferrari can still shine at some of the remaining tracks on the 2019 schedule.
"Obviously going forwards we haven't been the favourites for this year's championship since far, far away," said the four-time world champion. "I think you don't need to be clever to make that out.
"But I think we still have some races coming where we will be probably more competitive than others, but overall it's just about getting a good weekend.
"I think the speed is there, so I'm not worried, it's honestly just a matter of putting things together. But we have a lot of races and a lot of time."
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Hamilton: Realities of F1 dangers are still "shocking"
Next article Zandvoort 'doesn't need to worry' about remaining track work
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Adam Cooper
RB: Tsunoda “mentally on a different level” in 2024
Formula 1
Formula 1
Japanese GP
RB: Tsunoda “mentally on a different level” in 2024
Andretti planning F2 and F3 entries to promote US talent to F1 team
Formula 1
Formula 1
Andretti planning F2 and F3 entries to promote US talent to F1 team
Andretti F1 team formally opens new Silverstone facility
Formula 1
Formula 1
Andretti F1 team formally opens new Silverstone facility
More from
Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton buoyed by historic first Ferrari F1 pole: "I still love what I do"
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
9 h
Lewis Hamilton buoyed by historic first Ferrari F1 pole: "I still love what I do"
Ferrari downplays expectations for F1 Mexico GP despite blistering Friday
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
18 h
Ferrari downplays expectations for F1 Mexico GP despite blistering Friday
Latest news
MotoGP Malaysian GP: Marc Marquez takes dominant win to inch closer to title
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Malaysian GP
25 min
MotoGP Malaysian GP: Marc Marquez takes dominant win to inch closer to title
MotoGP riders step up pressure in final bid to avoid Qatar Grand Prix
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Malaysian GP
1 h
MotoGP riders step up pressure in final bid to avoid Qatar Grand Prix
Live: MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix as it happens
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Malaysian GP
1 h
Live: MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix as it happens
Carson Kvapil gets Rodney Childers a clock and the O'Reilly Chase is wide open now
NASCAR O'Reilly
NOAP NASCAR O'Reilly
Martinsville II
3 h
Carson Kvapil gets Rodney Childers a clock and the O'Reilly Chase is wide open now
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe