Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto has set an ambitious target of finishing 1-2 in the Hungarian Grand Prix. Last weekend's French Grand Prix was a dismal one for Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc spinning out of the lead and Carlos Sainz finishing only fifth after starting 19th following a grid penalty. To add insult to injury, Leclerc's title rival Max Verstappen won the race to establish a 63-point lead over the Monegasque in the 2022 Drivers' Championship. Ferrari had arrived in France fresh from two wins on the bounce, and despite the disappointing outcome at Paul Ricard, Binotto said he was pleased with his cars' pace and tyre management over the three days of on-track action. "It has been a good weekend in terms of pace, and the car has proved to be very competitive. I think Carlos [Sainz]'s race as well showed it," Binotto told media including RacingNews365.com . "Charles got the pole. He was leading the race. I think we had an edge on the Red Bull in terms of tyre degradation by Lap 15, and then Max had to stop. "We could have extended the stint and we were extending the stint, looking at the time where Max stopped when he was starting to suffer from tyre degradation. "Charles was gaining two or three tenths per lap on him, proving once again that our car is great and gentle with tyre management."
Binotto accentuating the positive after Paul Ricard
Though the French Grand Prix weekend ended in disappointment for Ferrari, Binotto added a bullish note over the competitiveness of the F1-75 package, noting that the team should be aiming for a 1-2 finish this weekend in Hungary. "I think we come out from here, Le Castellet, with full confidence in our package, in our drivers' capacity and our speed," said Binotto. "Lucky enough now, in a week's time, we've got Hungary. It's important for us to turn the page, to look forward. "Hungary will be again very hot there and it will be again about tyre management, tyre degradation and tyre overheating, very similar to Le Castellet. "I will say there is plenty of reason why we need to smile, and be positive, because our objective going into Hungary should be not for winning, but a 1-2."
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