Ferrari already assumes team play to beat Verstappen: "Fastest will be prioritized"

The talk of equal chances between Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz within Ferrari in the race for the 2022 Formula 1 season title was short-lived. With Max Verstappen 43 points ahead of the Monegasque in the standings, Mattia Binotto admitted that it won't be long before Ferrari starts prioritizing the driver ahead in races.

Ferrari's behavior with its driver duo was much questioned, especially after the botched strategy that again cost Leclerc not only the victory, but also the podium. In England, during the safety-car provoked by Esteban Ocon in the final part of the race, the Italian team opted to take only Sainz to the pits to put on soft tires, leaving the #16 on track with hard and worn compounds. Leclerc, who had been in first place, became easy prey to his opponents and, even after a lot of fighting, crossed the finish line in fourth.

Sainz, with this, won his first F1 victory and added important points, reaching 127 in the table. But Binotto already warned that the fight for the title should not be between his duo, since this could hurt Ferrari in the Constructors' World Championship. "First, what we tried to do in each race was to maximize the team's points," the Italian told Sky Sports.

"It's two championships, and by maximizing team points, I'm sure we are also maximizing the drivers' opportunities, taking points away from the opponents. And the opponents to each other should not be Charles and Carlos, but Max, Lewis [Hamilton] and others," he stressed.

"The fastest car on the track will be prioritized. It's certainly the best thing to do at this point in the championship. If later on, one of the two has more opportunities, we will certainly try to give him full priority. But that's not the situation now. So we will have to deal with that," added the team boss.

The decisions made at the British GP hurt Leclerc a lot, and he did not hide his frustration at losing another race in the pit-stop strategy - the same happened in Monaco. However, the driver rejected any hint of crisis in the Maranello pits, saying that everyone is "extremely united.

Binotto acknowledged that it was good to see the duo competitive in the races, but reinforced that the priority will always be what is best for Ferrari. "I know that when there are team orders, everyone blames us because we have to let them fight, but when they are free to do that, they talk that there should be team orders. Whatever we do is always wrong."

"I remember 20 years ago, here in Austria, hearing the booing from the stands. I was here," he added, referring to Michael Schumacher's controversial victory in 2002, when Rubens Barrichello had to give up position to the German while leading, and the order was carried out practically on the finish line.

"Again, what we're trying to do is leverage the team's points, which is the right thing to do," Binotto concluded.