Ferrari still 'at eye level'

What is he smoking?

(GMM) Ferrari is far from giving up on the 2019 season, according to boss Mattia Binotto.

After a winter of promise, the Maranello team is yet to win a race so far while Mercedes has had the best start to a F1 season since Nigel Mansell in 1992.

"In Barcelona, Bahrain and China, the differences between the two cars was a few tenths only. We are both very strong and similar in many ways," Binotto is quoted by AS newspaper.

He said Ferrari has prepared the first real upgrades of 2019 ahead of the Baku street race this weekend.

"There will be races in which we have an advantage of hundredths and others in which we are behind. The most important thing is that we continue with the development of the car," said Binotto.

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton agrees that the battle with Ferrari remains "intense".

"Ferrari is at eye level with us," he told Sport Bild.

"Maybe some of the tracks coming up will be better for them, who knows, but they have a good car. We all have highs and lows," the world champion added.

Ferrari's former technical boss Ross Brawn also advised the Italian team to "just keep working".

When asked about the unique pressure at Ferrari, he said: "That was also the case in my time.

"When I walked through the airport in Bologna, I was either abused or praised — you don't get that anywhere else in the world," he is quoted by Auto Bild.