F1 | Ferrari, Binotto: “We have not reaped what we sowed”

Glass half empty for Ferrari at the end of the Japanese Grand Prix, seventeenth round of the 2019 Formula One World Championship.

The Cavallino team, after taking center stage in qualifying, monopolizing the front row of the grid, closed the Suzuka race with only Sebastian Vettel on the podium. Both the German (2nd) and Charles Leclerc, only sixth at the finish line (then seventh due to the penalties received, ed.), were the protagonists of two false starts which had a heavy impact on their performances.

Mattia binotto, commenting on the frenetic and endless Sunday in Suzuka, wanted to congratulate Mercedes who won their sixth consecutive title: “First of all, congratulations from all of us to our friends and rivals for having deservedly achieved another Constructors' Championship. They had a fantastic season, proving that they have the best strengths on the pitch".

Despite a difficult race, the Rossa team principal underlined the competitiveness of the SF90 that emerged in the official tests: “For our part, I want to remember a positive aspect, namely the performance of our car which allowed us to conquer the front row in qualifying this morning, an exceptional result here in Suzuka".

At the same time, Binotto did not hide his regret that it could have been but wasn't, with the Red team wasting the opportunity to obtain an excellent result: "Today we did not reap what we sowed. Sin. The start compromised the rest of the race even though our rivals' pace was very competitive and we had greater tire degradation. We have made mistakes and we can only focus on ourselves to improve".

Piero Ladisa

Follow @PieroLadisa