F1 News: Mattia Binotto brushes aside Ferrari's critics - "The goal was achieved"
Mattia Binotto is happy with Ferrari's 2022 campaign, explaining why he believes the team has accomplished its goals.
Ferrari began the season in phenomenal form, taking two victories in the first three races and establishing a sizeable lead in the standings.
For a brief spell, the F1-75 seemed the perfect combination of speed and reliability.
This fairytale start was short-lived, as Red Bull rapidly developed their RB18 and addressed the persistent reliability issues from early in the year.
Ferrari's trajectory only worsened as the year progressed, with the initially bullet-proof F1-75 suffering from various costly reliability failures.
A series of strategic blunders also put Ferrari in the spotlight and reminded fans of the Maranello squad's traditional weakness.
Still, as quoted by formu1a.uno, Mattia Binotto is pleased with the Scuderia's performance this year:
"Rating the season? I'd say 7.5/8. Definitely positive, the goal was achieved after two difficult seasons.
"No one, and I mean no one, would have bet on a Ferrari that was so strong at the start and that remained so competitive after 22 races."
Such comments have become commonplace for Ferrari's senior figures, who are evidently reluctant to admit their mistakes.
Whilst admitting to mistakes does not erase them, there is growing frustration among fans about the apparent lack of accountability in the team.
Mattia Binotto has been the subject of tremendous speculation in recent weeks, with several reports indicating that his position as team principal is under threat.
Ferrari has unequivocally denied these rumours, but this is hardly a guarantee that Binotto's position is secure.
In any case, Ferrari will be expected to step up and deliver on its potential in 2023.
Having spent over a decade without achieving F1 championship glory, the excuses for falling short of the team's former glory are beginning to run short.