Ferrari has made itself available to contest both world titles and many are already wondering if the excellent relationship between Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will be affected.
The first race of the season resulted in a Ferrari one-two, with Charles Leclerc winning the race ahead of Carlos Sainz. This means that, at least for now, the Italian team has clearly become world title candidateas well as its pilots.
Last season, the excellent relationship between the two Ferrari drivers allowed the team to maximize their results on the track, but both were aware that things would get complicated if both ever fought for the championship.
That moment has come and both are delighted to see each other in such a situation.
«The first thing we said to each other is how good it feels to be fighting for something bigger, together»
Carlos Sainz he has no qualms about stating that “it’s a great problem to have. It’s great news for Ferrari and for us, because it’s where Ferrari should be and it’s where Charles and I want to be, fighting for the world championships.”
“Before the race, Charles and I were working together and the first thing we said to each other is how good it feels to start first and third, and finally to be fighting for something bigger, together»says the Spanish pilot.
“We had that moment of realizing that we are in the fight this year, and it was a good time to reflect and realizing that we are much luckier in that regard than we were last yearand we have a good fight on our hands, “he reiterates.
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Charles Leclerc, for his part, agrees that “it is a very good problem. Sure, we knew we were going to be in a better position compared to the last two years, but we really didn’t know where, and now we see that we can really fight for the title, so it’s incredible ».
“We are both very, very happy to have a car that is capable of winning. And we will fight for it, for sure”, advances the Monegasque pilot.
development is key
In a more technical context, Mattia Binotto He has asked the tifosi for patience, admitting that it is still early to determine with certainty whether Ferrari is the fastest team on the grid.
“They could have been stronger. If it wasn’t for their reliability issues, they would have been very fast.”points out the director of Ferrari in relation to Red Bull and his double abandonment of Bahrain.
And if I look at the first stint de Max (Verstappen) on used tires kept pace with Charles. So I think we should not forget that they are the world champions. They are still the favourites.”point.
“What we can do is try to do the best we can. Jeddah can give a completely different image and I think we have to wait at least four or five races before evaluating. To answer your question, I would wait four or five races”, says Binotto, who considers it vital to get the development of the car right from now on.
“There is still potential in the car, but we have to develop it. When you have a good baseline, you have to make sure that what you add to the car is a step forward. And that’s even more important now that we have a budget cap. We can’t be wrong”he admits.
“We will have only a few development opportunities and, whatever we do, we need to make sure they are the right ones and the right ones”concludes the head of a Ferrari team that decided to face the preseason in a different way than usual.
Photos: Scuderia Ferrari