"You are forced to make choices"- Ferrari admits it 'definitely prioritized performance over reliability' for 2022 F1 season

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has admitted that his team prioritized performance over reliability in 2022. The Italian outfit has arguably built the fastest car this season but has been plagued by reliability issues.

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have been given the fastest car on track to try and bag their first world championship titles in the sport. A string of reliability issues, however, has caused both Ferrari drivers to succumb to their rivals Red Bull in the first half of the season.

Team boss Mattia Binotto has now admitted that the team prioritized performance over reliability during development. He cited time restrictions as the main reason for their choice. Speaking to Motorsport about Ferrari's development, he said:

“I don't think we pushed too hard because pushing performance is never enough, but we certainly prioritized performance over reliability. What it means: that we have probably reached the limit of time for approval."

He added:

"When there were no limits, it was enough to increase the work on the test benches, both in terms of performance and reliability. But today, being constrained by hours, you are forced to make choices."

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Red Bull 'feels sorry' for Ferrari's woes, says advisor

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko claims that the team feels 'really sorry' for the Prancing Horses in the 2022 F1 championship. Despite having arguably the fastest car, the Italian team hasn't been able to perform consistently due to their reliability issues.

The Italians haven't been able to continuously match Red Bull's output, much to the dismay of the Tifosi. Nonetheless, Red Bull's Helmut Marko spoke out sympathetically about their main title rival.

When questioned about Red Bull's 2022 title fight versus the one last year, Marko told Sport24:

“Yes, it has rarely been so much fun. Almost every weekend is a pleasure, very different from last season, when everything was nerve-wracking. It's just a pity that Ferrari makes so many mistakes. They’re beaten below their value, we really feel sorry for them. But once again: They’ll be back, they have such a powerful car.”

However, with nine races yet to be raced this season, the Italian team has time to put up a stronger fight against Red Bull. Only time will tell whether the Scuderia will be able to rise to the top steps of the sport once again.