Ferrari head into 2020 “very united” despite suggestions of disharmony between their drivers, team boss Mattia Binotto claims.
Last year proved tricky for the Scuderia as the wrong philosophy on chassis design meant they could not exploit an engine advantage over their rivals until after the summer break.
And while the decision to promote Charles Leclerc was vindicated, with the Monegasque scoring two wins and finish ahead of teammate Sebastian Vettel in the Drivers’ standings, it also led to some tension as they battled for equal status.
“I am really happy with how the team spirit has grown,” Binotto reflected in Ferrari’s magazine. “We are very united, compact, including the drivers, despite what some people insinuate.”
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To prove his point, the Swiss boss recalled the biggest flashpoint between his two drivers, when Vettel and Leclerc touched in Brazil, revealing how they had taken it upon themselves to regroup.
“On the Tuesday following the incident they were involved in at the Brazil GP my phone rang and on the display, I saw the names of Seb and Charles, together,” he said.
“They’d been in touch with each other, they’d cleared things up and they called me together for a three-way call.
“It wasn’t just a gesture, it really showed an impressive united spirit and anyway, regarding Brazil, it’s better that such an episode happens now, it will help us to understand each other better for next year.”
Looking ahead to the 2020 season, however, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believes the Italian team won’t be on the same level as themselves and Mercedes.
“Our opponent will be Mercedes, especially Lewis Hamilton,” he told Auto Bild.
“I have to admit that he drives almost perfectly and is currently the best Formula 1 driver with regards to the overall package, but then Max Verstappen comes next.
“[As for Ferrari,] we were ahead of them in the last third of the season,” he added. “They don’t seem to have the advantage, especially with their engine, as they did before.
“I am convinced that Honda can also take this small step and then it is up to us to build a car from the start that will compete for the title.
“So far it looks good because we will be finished building the new car sooner than ever before.”