Ferrari are ‘outsiders’ but aim to challenge Red Bull and Mercedes, says Mattia Binotto

Ferrari’s speed in preseason testing has led many to suggest they could contend in Formula 1 this season

Ferrari had a strong performance in preseason testing (Getty Images)

Ferrari’s Mattia Binotto has insisted that his team remain Formula 1 “outsiders” despite a strong showing in preseason testing.

The Italian manufacturer showed impressive speed and consistency across six days of preparation in Barcelona and Bahrain.

That has led some, including Mercedes, to suggest that they could be contenders to win a world title for the first time in 15 years.

Team principal Binotto was encouraged by the performances of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, and thinks that Ferrari should be in the title fight with Mercedes and Red Bull - though the 52-year-old cautioned that 2021’s leading two teams remain the “favourites”.

“I have to say that, I expect three teams to be close to each other, without great differences anymore,” Binotto told Sky Italia. “But with those two [Mercedes and Red Bull], three tenths that will make the difference in the end.

“We would like to undermine them, but once again I think they are the favourites and we are the outsiders.

“I heard someone saying we’re the favourites. The others are the favourites: they’re the World Champions, with the Drivers’ [Championship, won by Red Bull’s Verstappen], with the Constructors’ [Championship, won by Mercedes].”

Ferrari were a distant third in the latter competition in 2021, despite a strong performance from Sainz in his debut season.

The Spaniard finished fifth individually, the best of the rest after Mercedes and Red Bull’s pairings and five and a half points ahead of teammate Leclerc.

The Italian outfit went the entire season without a race victory, and will be hoping to avoid a repeat of that duck in 2022.

The season begins in Bahrain this weekend, with race day on 20 March, and Binotti thinks that Ferrari’s offseason work stands them in good stead.

“Concerning the preparation, it’s a big thing, meaning we arrived prepared, we ran consistently, without many set-backs and collecting a lot of data,” he said.

“But this is testing, which has nothing to do with the performance.

“The goal for us was to collect data, trying to understand the car and collaborate the data with the instruments we have at home, such as the simulator and wind tunnel.

“And I think we did this exercise well and this means we prepared ourselves well. I would give an eight out of ten for the preparation.”