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How Ferrari's 'top priority' for 2023 can hide strategic mistakes

Mattia Binotto believes there is one crucial area Ferrari must focus on to improve their title chances in 2023.

Ferrari must make addressing their reliability concerns their "top priority" in the off-season, according to boss Mattia Binotto. The Italian squad suffered from a series of engine and other reliability failures in 2022, with Charles Leclerc dropping out of the Spanish and Azerbaijan Grands Prix from the lead, while Carlos Sainz retired from a podium spot in a fiery blow-up in Austria. Binotto admitted that Ferrari "had to slightly lower the power" in the second-half of the season amid concerns, and feels that to end the Scuderia's long wait for a title, fixing the issues should be their main focus.

Binotto on Ferrari concerns

"I don't think there is only one [lesson from the year]," Binotto explained to media, including RacingNews365.com. "Because at the end, our ups and downs were coming from different areas, but number one is reliability. "I would put it as top priority because in order to win, you need to be reliable – and that has not been the case this season. "[Secondly we need to focus] on the speed of the car. "While we are very competitive in qualifying, it has not always been the case in the race itself. "Our race pace has not been sufficient to fight for better positions, so I think these two [areas are key] as, if you've got a fast and reliable car, then yes, you might do mistakes on strategies or pit-stops. "You can always compensate through the fact that the car is fast and reliable, so it's where we need to put our efforts, knowing that there will still be ups and downs."

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RESULTS 2024 F1 Chinese Grand Prix - Qualifying