F1: Ferrari team orders 'up to Binotto'

(GMM) Whether Ferrari follows in title rival Red Bull’s wheel tracks with team orders is up to boss Mattia Binotto.

That is the view of former 2022 championship leader Charles Leclerc, who is confident the Maranello based team has found the cause of his turbo and MHU-H failure of Barcelona.

“I trust the team that it won’t happen again,” said the Monaco local. “It’s good that we have already figured out what happened.”

Actually, Ferrari is hotly tipped as the Monaco favorite, as Red Bull will not be able to deploy its straight line speed advantage on the tight city layout.

“I don’t know if we’re favorites, but I think there will be surprises,” said Leclerc.

One surprise may be a change of Ferrari policy, who until now have insisted that Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will have an equal shot at winning the drivers’ title.

But in Barcelona, Red Bull used team orders to enable new championship leader Max Verstappen to pass Sergio Perez, raising the question of whether Ferrari must now follow suit.

Sergio Perez of Mexico and Red Bull Racing leads Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing and The Netherlands during the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on May 22, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Peter Fox/Getty Images)

“I do not make those decisions – you should ask Mattia,” said Leclerc. “I have not talked about anything or heard anything.

“Red Bull has made its intentions clear, and it is a matter of time before Carlos is more comfortable with the car. But I don’t want to depend on that either.”

Finally, the 24-year-old was asked about the fact that Sunday’s race in the Principality he was born and still lives in could be the last-ever Monaco GP.

“Formula 1 is not Formula 1 without Monaco,” Leclerc insisted.

“There is no other circuit that generates more adrenaline for the driver in qualifying, but the race too is a lot of fun and one of the biggest challenges for a driver.”