Binotto dismisses Ferrari pace claims

Ferrari chief Mattia Binotto has dismissed claims his team’s car has an advantage over their rivals in terms of pace on long straights.

Binotto has responded to suggestions, largely from Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, that the Scuderia have underperformed in the opening three races of the 2019 Formula 1 as they have managed just two podium finishes.

Ferrari did lead the timesheets in pre-season testing and it appeared they were finally in a position to challenge Mercedes, who have won five consecutive Constructors’ Championship titles. However, they sit 57 points behind the Silver Arrows in the standings, while Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc are currently fourth and fifth respectively in the drivers’ standings.

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And Binotto claims Hamilton could be trying to deflect the pressure away from his team by constantly discussing Ferrari’s superior pace. “If you look at the speed of Mercedes, I think they were very strong as well,” he said. “So maybe you should ask them how they are so good. “I don’t think there is much on the straights [between] us and the others.” Binotto also played down Ferrari’s chances of securing a first win of the season at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix next weekend. “Baku is a circuit where you’ve got a different aero configuration certainly, so I think it’s not only power units [that make the difference],” he added. “It could be aero configuration. It’s not only the straights in Baku, it’s a lot of corners. It’s a circuit that’s very difficult in that respect, so let’s see.”