Binotto admits Ferrari engine failures spark feelings of 'depression'
Ferrari's engine failures never go down well with team boss Mattia Binotto who admits that the breakdowns lead to feelings of despair although they are fortunately short lived.
Ferrari's 2022 campaign has unfortunately been undermined by issues on and off the track, with ill-fated strategy decisions rivaling with engines failures as the source of the Scuderia's woes and significant points deficit to Red Bull in the Drivers and Constructors' standings.
Early championship leader Charles Leclerc was deprived of potential race wins in Spain and in Azerbaijan while leading both events while teammate Carlos Sainz's strong charge in the Austrian Grand Prix went up in smoke in the closing stages of the race.
The failures were gut-wrenching for both drivers but they were just as upsetting for Ferrari's head man on the pitwall.
"It is very difficult for two reasons," Binotto told Italy's Motorsport.com franchise.
"When it comes to engine failures, well, I've run that department myself in the past, and seeing smoke coming out of the car is never cool. And this is more of a feeling of depression.
"When you are leading the race, as Charles was leading in Baku but we can also mention Carlos in Austria, these are problems you would never want to see."
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But Binotto says the lingering feeling of despair eventually subsides as his responsibilities as the Scuderia's leader take over and his focus is recentered.
"I stay calm, but believe me, in those moments I am depressed," he added. "It takes a while to try to react, but then you understand that you have to think about the next steps, what needs to be done.
"And not only in technical terms, but also in terms of the team. And then you think: how can I help?
"So I immediately begin to make sure that everyone remains calm and focused, and also protected from attacks and external comments."
©Ferrari
While Ferrari has been pushing the boundaries on the engine front this season, which perhaps partially explains its failures, Binotto revealed that the Scuderia's engineers will implement one final update ahead of the final development freeze.
"We expect developments on the hybrid before the freeze period begins, we are working on it, but it will not be a turning point," said the Swiss.
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