Mattia Binotto's verdict on Ferrari copying Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen decisions
Mattia Binotto insists Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will start the 2021 F1 season on level pegging at Ferrari.
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Mattia Binotto says Charles Leclerc will not automatically become Ferrari's No 1 driver when Sebastian Vettel leaves. Leclerc positioned himself to be the future of Ferrari by impressing in his first season in their iconic red car.
The off-season saw him handed a new long-term contract, while it has since been announced team-mate Vettel will leave the Italians once his deal expires at the end of the 2020 campaign.
McLaren's Carlos Sainz will come in and take Vettel's seat, with the Spaniard expected to take on a role as Ferrari's No 2 driver.
Binotto, though, insists he will not copy the decisions made at Mercedes and Red Bull, where Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are the top men respectively.
The Ferrari team principal says he will not enforce a hierarchy upon Leclerc and Sainz - although he does expect one of the drivers to make their supremacy known.
"No, it is not [our idea to copy Mercedes and Red Bull], the first thing is to have two good drivers," Binotto told Spanish newspaper Marca.
"Team spirit is what is important, and making sure that Ferrari comes first. I think it will be the track itself that dictates who is first and who is second.
"It has always been this way even in the time of Michael Schumacher, who started every year at the same level as his team-mate, but by the third race it was clear who was number one."
Ferrari's hopes of ending their F1 trophy-drought will this year rest on Leclerc and Vettel's shoulders.
Binotto admits, though, that the impact of the coronavirus pandemic means they have not been able to develop their car as much as they would have liked ahead of the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix.
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"We have not been able to work much due to the long closure of the factories, where there has been no opportunity to develop the car, or work on data or wind tunnels," Binotto said.
"We restarted work a few days ago and we are trying to fix those weaknesses, but we are where we were in Australia and it will be a car similar to the one in Austria.
"Developments will come later, so I don't expect to be the fastest car in Austria, where we should get as many points as possible."
After the double-header in Austria, Leclerc and co. will make their way to Hungary before trips to the UK, Spain, Belgian and Italy complete the first eight rounds of the 2020 F1 season.