The Mexico City Grand Prix weekend finally got underway, with qualifying at the Hermanos Rodriguez circuit being among the most spectacular of the entire 2022 Formula 1 season. However, Scuderia Ferrari proved to be an unjustified absent, as the Maranello team was clearly defeated by both Red Bull and Mercedes. Carlos Sainz took fifth place on the grid and will start the Mexican Grand Prix from the third row on Sunday, while Charles Leclerc did even worse, seventh and behind the Alfa Romeo car of Valtteri Bottas.
Scuderia Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto, interviewed by Sky Sport F1, shared his thoughts on the disappointing qualifying session for the Maranello team at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, hoping for a step forward in tomorrow’s race in Mexico City.
“The race will be less complicated” – said the Ferrari boss, who remained in Maranello during this weekend to follow the development of the 2023 car – “because we will all have a lot of fuel. Today we were like on ice, but tomorrow everything will be easier. The race will be beautiful to see and will be tight”.
Charles Leclerc pointed out that his car had a loss of power on the straight. Mattia Binotto, questioned on the matter, tried to go into the detail regarding the disappointing Q3 of the two F1-75 cars: “The data for Charles Leclerc’s engine? We haven’t had a chance to look at it yet – admitted the Ferrari boss – but there was a problem with his DRS which broke in the final part of the last attempt.” – he admitted.
“Mexico is a difficult track to drive due to the thin air – continued the Ferrari team principal – there is little grip, but it is a constant and a characteristic of this track, everything is more critical also for the power unit and there may be bouncing issues, all things that are known.”
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Mattia Binotto was then asked if he expected such a complicated qualifying session at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez: “We knew that it would be a tight qualifying session. If Carlos Sainz had put the sectors together he would have gone on the front row. But it is difficult. Q3 went like this, it could have happened to others, but it happened to us. This was a spectacular qualifying, we need to turn the page and look to tomorrow”.
Finally, Mattia Binotto denied that Ferrari had been focused on a set-up designed exclusively for the race: “We think that the highest downforce configuration is the best in general, both in qualifying and in the race. We are fully loaded like Mercedes and we have the same speed. We are not too loaded.” – the Ferrari boss concluded.
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