Sebastian Vettel has backed Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto despite the lack of results for the Italian team this season.
This time 12 months ago, the German was still just about in the title picture with four wins to his name, whereas now he has no wins and sits fourth in the Drivers’ standings, 94 points behind Lewis Hamilton.
The main criticism has been Ferrari’s car philosophy, as a focus on straight-line speed has left them trailing at most circuits, including finishing a minute down in Hungary.
Questions have also been asked of Binotto who has held both team principal and technical director roles since replacing Maurizio Arrivabene at the start of the year.
“The situation hasn’t been easy, we haven’t won every race,” Vettel is quoted by GPFans.
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“That’s the most straightforward situation you can have. We didn’t have the first half of the season that we were looking for, yet the focus is there and everyone in the entire team is remaining calm and determined to make progress as soon as we can.
“Some things don’t click or happen overnight, but I think we have a good understanding of where the car is, where we need to go, and hopefully the next months will if we are picking the right direction, and Mattia is doing really well, keeping the team together and calm.”
It was the talk of a rift between Binotto and Arrivabene which led to the latter’s departure, and Vettel remains sure that the Swiss veteran of the Scuderia is the right man going forward.
“At the same time, he’s reminding us of where we need to go,” the four-time champion continued.
“His role is different from his role in the past, but the team is around him and the organisation is very similar to twelve months ago.
“There’s not that much change but again I think that’s a positive. From where we are, we need to get stronger as a team, but he’s giving us the right lead, I believe.
“I don’t think it’s fair to compare one versus the other,” Vettel noted.
“Every year and every situation is a bit different, but one thing I think we have achieved so far as a team with Mattia as our leader is to remain calm.”
