Ferrari F1 Boss Binotto Reveals the Major Obstacle to Targeting Charles Leclerc Fastest Lap at COTA

The Ferrari F1 Racing Team is going at it against McLaren, trying to snatch the third position in the Constructors’ Championship battle. In the latest Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in the US, the Scuderia drivers put up a fantastic show against their closest rivals. In the end, Charles Leclerc came fourth for a third time in the last four races, while Carlos Sainz came seventh.

Speaking about the performance of the team during the US GP weekend, Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto said they will try till the very end to achieve the best results in the Championship fight.

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Ferrari did consider letting Leclerc into the pit for the third time

Charles Leclerc put up an amazing performance at the US Grand Prix to guard his fourth position in the grid. He got a nice start in the beginning and then, he successfully maintained his place even though he had to survive a mighty fight with the two McLarens for his P4 rank.

Formula One F1 – United States Grand Prix – Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, U.S. – October 23, 2021 Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in action during qualifying REUTERS/Mike Blake

Speaking about Leclerc’s performance, Mattia Binotto admitted to considering if he should have gone into the pits for a third wheel change. In that case, Leclerc would have been able to run on fresher tires and he could have scored the fastest lap of the Grand Prix.

“We considered the possibility of trying to sign the fastest lap, but in the end, we realized that we would be exposed to too many risks,” said Binotto in an interview with Sky Germany.

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Mattia Binotto is hopeful for Ferrari in the 2021 Championship fight

While Ferrari is locked in a fight with McLaren for the third spot in the Championship fight, the Woking outfit has outshone the Scuderia on multiple occasions. In this respect, one cannot help but mention the McLaren 1-2 at Monza earlier this season.

But in the US Grand Prix, Ferrari rekindled their Tifosis’ hopes as Leclerc and Sainz outscored Ricciardo and Norris respectively after a hard-fought race track fight.

Formula One F1 – Portuguese Grand Prix – Algarve International Circuit, Portimao, Portugal – Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Carlos Sainz Jr. in action during the race Pool via REUTERS/Jose Sena Goulao

“I am convinced that we will play until the end in the fight for third place and that we have all the credentials to win it,” said Binotto, hopeful about his team’s future.

Will Ferrari be able to gain some more much-needed points and get the third spot in the Constructors’ Championship battle? This question will be answered in just a few days, with only a few races left in the season calendar.

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