Binotto: “I hope Verstappen wins the title”

Ferrari was in the same situation as Red Bull in 2017 but also in 2018, fighting with Mercedes for the title. At the time, Maurizio Arrivabene was the boss of Ferrari. Today things have changed a lot. Mattia Binotto is at the head of the Team since 2019 and the reds are no longer able (for the moment) to fight for the title. Conversely, Red Bull is having its best start to the season since the hybrid era. During the summer break, Max Verstappen is 8 points behind Lewis Hamilton. The fight between the two drivers reached its peak at Silverstone with contact at Copse sending the Dutchman into the wall. If Red Bull had its period of domination during a few races, Mercedes seems to have regained a top speed allowing it to regularly beat the Austrian team, as evidenced by the qualifying session in Hungary. For Mattia Binotto, there is no doubt, in the end it is always Mercedes who wins.

“If I had to bet, I would say Lewis because I think that in the end Mercedes will win like every time. But honestly, I hope Max wins this season. It would be good for the sport to have a little change. »

The 51-year-old Italian took the opportunity to talk about his duo of drivers who he judges to be the best on the grid.

“I am convinced that with Leclerc and Sainz, we have the best duo on the grid. They are talented, fast, and have a bright future in F1. We know Charles and we have no doubt about his abilities. Without his accident in qualifying in Monaco and at the start in Hungary, he would have had a victory and a second place. For his part, Carlos didn't surprise me. Before taking him, we analyzed his characteristics: he is solid, he brings back points for the team and he communicates well with the engineers. »

Ferrari announced that it would a big engine improvement  before going to Belgium. F1 will go to Spa and Monza in September, two circuits where having a good Vmax is often synonymous with very good results. We remember that it was on these two routes in 2019 that Charles Leclerc had won these first two victories in F1 at the wheel of a Ferrari which had, at the time, the best engine in the field.