As the Ferrari Formula 1 drivers performed well at the Spanish Grand Prix last weekend, Mattia Binotto was pleased with the progress made by the Italian team.

Is Ferrari on the way up? It’s still a little early to say after the nightmare year of 2020, but the least we can say is that the Scuderia had the merit of building up its confidence during the Spanish Grand Prix last Sunday.

The Italian team’s two drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr, finished fourth and seventh respectively. This has established Ferrari as the third strongest team in the field behind Mercedes and Red Bull, and this is something that Mattia Binotto is delighted about, as he emphasised the great progress his team has made in a year.

“Beyond expectations, I don’t know. We have made a lot of progress and that is good to see. The team has shown that it knows it can overcome weaknesses.

“Last year we took a lap at the end of the race and we were more than 1.5 from pole, so the team has really corrected some of the weaknesses. It’s going to take time to get even stronger, but I think this team is great and they’re capable.

“So I don’t think it’s right to say ‘beyond expectations’, but I’m quite satisfied because in the end I think it’s a great result compared to what we achieved last year,”