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Scuderia Ferrari chairman John Elkann earlier suggested that the team is poised to win the F1 constructors’ and drivers’ championship titles before the 2026 season. He claimed that the charge will be led by Charles Leclerc. Team boss Mattia Binotto, however, confirmed the opposite. He said that Ferrari are giving both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc an "equal chance" and are refraining from giving priority to one driver.
In a press conference last weekend at the Italian GP, the Italian was asked if his team has a "designated number one and number two driver." He denied having any such team orders:
"I think it's fair, as a team, to give them equal chance, certainly at the start of the season and through the season. If necessity will be there, we may designate who's got the most opportunity to win.”
In a newspaper interview, as reported by F1.com, John Elkann made the following comment ahead of the Italian Grand Prix that Binotto was referring to:
“I believe that before 2026 Ferrari will once again win the constructors’ and drivers’ titles, with Charles Leclerc in pole position. We are lucky to have two great drivers, probably the strongest pairing in Formula 1.”
Ferrari admit Max Verstappen "deserved" the Italian GP win
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto admitted that he was disappointed that the race never resumed. However, he also didn't believe that the team could have done anything different in Monza last weekend to challenge and potentially beat Max Verstappen.
As reported by Planet F1, when asked whether the Scuderia stood any chance against the reigning world champion at the Italian Grand Prix, Binotto said:
“Honestly, I don’t think. We tried whatever we could. Max had a fantastic race, he has been very fast today, once again less tyre degradation to us and I think he deserved the win at the end.”
The Italian outfit currently stands second in the constructors' standings with a 139-point deficit to Red Bull. With the constructors' title quite a reach away, they'll have a bigger challenge fending off Mercedes in third. The Silver Arrows are a mere 35 points behind them, a fraction of the gap to Red Bull. Considering the German outfit's consistency, the Prancing Horse might very well have its hands full in the upcoming races.
