Mattia Binotto says Carlos Sainz Jr. needs to put together mistake-free race weekends during the second half of the Formula 1 season.
Sainz joined Scuderia Ferrari in place of Sebastian Vettel after two years with the McLaren F1 Team, and he has taken two podium finishes in his first eleven races. He finished second in the Monaco Grand Prix and inherited third place in the Hungarian Grand Prix when Vettel was disqualified.
Binotto, the Team Principal at Ferrari, says the Spaniard has started life at Maranello-based team well, but Sainz knows he needs to have more mistake-free weekends if he is to improve on his sixth place in the Drivers’ Championship.
“What I’m expecting from him in the second half, I think he already said himself,” Binotto is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com. “He has not been capable of putting together one entire weekend, so there is always a mistake here or there.
“Whether it is quali, start, or in the race. So I’m expecting that he will continue learning the team, continue learning the car. And soon, hopefully, he will put together an entire weekend, which I think is important for him.”
Binotto says Ferrari have not been surprised by Sainz’s performances since he joined the team during the off season, with the Team Principal saying the Spaniard has been impressing ever since he joined Formula 1.
Max Verstappen was Sainz’s first team-mate in Formula 1 when they were at Scuderia Toro Rosso, and he often gave the Dutchman a run for his money, as he did during his time with McLaren against Lando Norris.
“I’m not surprised because when we decided, and contacted him with the offer, we made a lot of analysis and we knew that was a strong driver, we knew that he was a strong racer, we knew that he was very consistent in the race,” said Binotto.
“And he was fast as well, he has proved to be fast, since he was in F1. We should not forget that his very first F1 season with STR his teammate was Max [Verstappen], and his very first year he was somehow doing well.
“And if we look as well at last year with Lando, again, he was doing very well and we know how Lando is strong and he is showing it as well in the current season so we are not surprised by how strong he is or how fast he is.”
