Ferrari technical director Mattia Binotto believes that Sebastian Vettel will remain with the legendary Italian team despite reports claiming that the German has an option to join Mercedes.
Speaking on the occasion of Ferrari being awarded the 24th edition of the prestigious Trofeo Lorenzo Bandini, Binotto said, “I think Seb will remain at Maranello because there is nothing better for a driver to win the Prancing Horse.”
“Vettel is one of our drivers, he is a multiple-world champion. I think he will remain with us. Because there is nothing more beautiful for a Formula 1 driver than to win in red.”
In the wake of the team’s famous one-two at the recent Monaco Grand Prix, which Vettel won and Kimi Raikkonen finished second, Binotto added, “It’s been 16 years since Ferrari last won at the Principality. I think that victory was liberating. We have been waiting for this moment for so long and Ferrari deserves much more.”
“It was a victory that made us raise the awareness of having a fast car means you can race on par with the best. Perhaps it even proved that we even have a stronger car,” explained Binotto.
After a woeful 2016 season for the Reds, with internal bickering and dissatisfaction rampant at Maranello, team chief Maurizio Arrivabene galvanised the sport’s most famous teams and the revamped technical department – headed by Binotto – has delivered a very handy piece of kit for their drivers.
Harmony now prevails within the team in the aftermath of a torrid season, and now after six rounds Vettel leads the championship standings and Ferrari are top of the constructors’ table, the team now a serious double championship contending force.
Echoing Binotto’s sentiments regarding Vettel, last month Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne declared, “If he is happy in the car, and he likes the car, he can stay as long as he likes. The talks we had last year were very nervous because the car was not there.”
“So we try to get him the car as he wants and then the choice is his. We dreamed of being at the head of the championship and we’re there,” added Marchionne.
Read the full story at GRAND PRIX 247
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