Scuderia Ferrari continues to assert their position at the front of the pack with Charles Leclerc’s dominant win at the Australian Grand Prix. Rising from the tough times of the years past, Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto felt that the race provided further evidence that it takes “perfection” to lead the pack in Formula 1.
“I am very pleased. It’s always great to win and it also boosts the morale of the team who deserve all this, because they have all developed the right mentality to face difficult moments head on and make the most of any opportunity. We always say that you can only come out on top in Formula 1 if you do everything to perfection and I think today’s race proved that. Charles delivered a mature performance, something he is now making a habit of.”
It was, however, a bittersweet result for Ferrari in Melbourne, with Carlos Sainz Jr retiring on lap two. Sainz already faced unfortunate circumstances on Saturday, after being unable to complete his final lap in Qualifying Three and only qualifying ninth. His bad luck continued on Sunday, as his car went into anti-stall on the first lap after technical issues arose on the way to the grid. In an effort to recover the positions lost on the first lap, he spun out and found himself stuck in the gravel at Turn 10.
“It’s a shame for Carlos, because his weekend was complicated by a series of circumstances in both qualifying and the race, which affected his performance. I know him well enough to believe that he will turn the negatives to his advantage and come back stronger next time he’s in the car.”
Binotto is happy with the results the team has achieved so far this season, and hopes to keep moving forward ahead of the next race weekend, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
“The start of the season has been positive and the work of the past few months is paying off. We will continue to concentrate on ourselves and take it one race at a time. We have earned some time with our families over Easter, but then we will get back to it, working on the next race, which being at Imola, takes on even greater importance. We can’t wait to be there and we’re looking forward to seeing the circuit packed with our fans, to share this good start to the year.”
