Photo: Scuderia Ferrari
Next year’s Formula 1 season could be at least just as spectacular as the one that just ended, with Max Verstappen having dethroned Lewis Hamilton as top dog in a sport that Mercedes have dominated for over half a decade.
In 2022, the grid could be reshuffled and teams such as Ferrari might find themselves fighting for titles yet again, especially after finishing the 2021 season strong, with Carlos Sainz grabbing a podium in the Abu Dhabi finale. Sainz finished the year fifth in the Driver Standings, with a total of 164.5 points. His teammate, Charles Leclerc, was seventh, with 159 points.
According to team principal Mattia Binotto, the two will be able to race freely next season, as they will have equal status within the Scuderia – at least at first, unless one of them separates himself clearly from the other as the season progresses, as per Autosport.
“In terms of drivers, as we have often said, I think it is the track that will dictate it. The priority is always the team, but no doubt, if they can compete for an important position in the championship, it will be the track that will tell who’s ahead.”
Binotto also acknowledged that Leclerc had some bad luck in 2021 and that damage, overall reliability issues or crashes play a big role in a team’s strategy over the course of a Grand Prix.
“I think we should not forget that in the season, there are a couple of examples, which is Monaco and Budapest, where he [Leclerc] didn’t score. I think he has been unlucky as a driver in those occasions.”
“Without those, and it’s difficult to say where he would have finished, but maybe at least 40 points is missing from his classification. So, without that, again, I think he would have been a lot further ahead in the championship,” concluded Binotto.
An extra 40 points would have meant a fourth place finish in the standings for Leclerc, ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, and just shy of Valtteri Bottas.
According to team principal Mattia Binotto, the two will be able to race freely next season, as they will have equal status within the Scuderia – at least at first, unless one of them separates himself clearly from the other as the season progresses, as per Autosport.
“In terms of drivers, as we have often said, I think it is the track that will dictate it. The priority is always the team, but no doubt, if they can compete for an important position in the championship, it will be the track that will tell who’s ahead.”
Binotto also acknowledged that Leclerc had some bad luck in 2021 and that damage, overall reliability issues or crashes play a big role in a team’s strategy over the course of a Grand Prix.
“I think we should not forget that in the season, there are a couple of examples, which is Monaco and Budapest, where he [Leclerc] didn’t score. I think he has been unlucky as a driver in those occasions.”
“Without those, and it’s difficult to say where he would have finished, but maybe at least 40 points is missing from his classification. So, without that, again, I think he would have been a lot further ahead in the championship,” concluded Binotto.
An extra 40 points would have meant a fourth place finish in the standings for Leclerc, ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, and just shy of Valtteri Bottas.
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