The Italian team has been the rival to beat at the start of the 2022 Formula 1 season, with Charles Leclerc emerging as the leader after winning two of the three races held.
With Carlos Sainz retiring at last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, the Monegasque enjoys a 38-point lead over his team-mate, and is positioned as the favorite to go for the title this season.
However, despite the obvious advantage that Ferrari could have by making the roles of its two drivers clear, with a principal and a squire, the team’s chief executive, Mattia Binotto , believes that both are still contenders for victory in these moments.
“It’s only three races that have been held so far,” said the Maranello boss. “There are still 20 left, so the championship is still very long, our drivers have the freedom to fight, and I am very excited to enjoy that they are fighting for a good place, and for first place if possible.”
The F1-75 seems to have no weak points, being quick in all conditions and types of circuits, as well as having better reliability than main rival Red Bull.
Leclerc himself said that the Italian team’s 2022 single-seater was a real pleasure to drive, and that it allowed him to get the most out of it: “It’s a strong car, I think so far it’s adapting well to my driving”.
“I understood the car very early in the season, and I think that is helping me,” continued the world leader. “It was a good surprise, but we have to keep pushing, obviously, even though it’s going very well for us.”
With Ferrari heading into its home race at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Leclerc is aware that the team cannot afford any distractions in order to continue to perform at its best.
“There are a lot of things that are going to be crazy at Imola for us. Apart from that, it will be a race weekend where we will have a sprint test, and whether the circuit is the right one to do it or not, I don’t know. , we will have the answer after the grand prize”, he expressed.
“I’m sure there’s a lot of excitement, but we also have to make sure as a team that we don’t try to overdo things, because there will be a lot of expectations, as always,” Leclerc warned. “We have to stay calm.”
