F1 competition has never been 'as strong' - Binotto

Ferrari team boss, Mattia Binotto, reckons Formula 1 has “never” witnessed a level of competition like it has today.

Ferrari once again came off second best to Mercedes when, in 2019, they failed to put an engine that many felt was the best in the field to good use.

It took Ferrari until race 13 of the season to claim their first win with Charles Leclerc P1 at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Although Ferrari added two more wins, it was far behind Mercedes’ tally of 15.

Red Bull also claimed three grand prix victories last season as once again F1’s top three teams dominated the podium.

Binotto told the official Ferrari magazine: “In my opinion, competition in F1 has never been as strong as it is today. As a team, we have everything we need to perform, but in this sport there are no guarantees, so we must work even harder and use our great brand advantage, as well as our great fan ratio to get the title in 2020.”

Fueling the troubles

Binotto was named Ferrari team boss in January last year, replacing Maurizio Arrivabene.

But while some welcomed his appointment, others questioned whether the Italian engineer was the right man for the job.

Ferrari’s on-track troubles with their feuding drivers fueled the latter.

READ: Mattia Binotto can be 'tough' as Ferrari boss - Leclerc

Binotto adds: “Each team leader does it in his own way, as is obvious, but from my training as an engineer I am convinced that the rigorous approach works best. On the one hand, you know that individual relationships with people are very important and that really you have to take care of it, because the human aspect of an organisation is fundamental to your success.

“F1 is also a complex machine that is not just about making a 750kW engine, but also to manufacture it before, faster and better than your rivals.”