“It was the best way to represent the whole team there,” Mattia Binotto explains his decision of joining podium celebrations in Bahrain

“It was the best way to represent the whole team there,” Mattia Binotto explains his decision of joining podium celebrations in Bahrain

Bahrain GP 2022 podium

Ferrari has gotten off to an excellent start in the 2022 season. The team has bagged 4 out of 6 possible podiums in the opening two races of the season. This didn’t surprise anyone, as the team has been affluent since the first session of the pre-season testing.

However, one thing that did surprise everyone was Ferrari’s boss Mattia Binotto’s presence on the podium after the team bagged the 1-2 victory in Bahrain. In the boss’ words, “I don’t usually go [up to the podium], it’s not my style,” is why the eyes were glued to him during the podium celebration.

Mattia Binotto clears out the reason why he went on the podium to celebrate with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. He said, in an interview with the BILD, “I thought about it a lot and ended up forcing myself to do it because I felt it was the best way to represent the whole team there. If we had chosen someone from the engine or aerodynamics department, for example, that would only have shown part of them. I wanted to show this double victory (1-2) belongs to all of us!”

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Mattia Binotto’s long planning for the celebration

Ferrari's Mattia Binotto

Ferrari played underhand during the pre-season testing rounds. They also claimed several times that they wouldn’t be the challengers in the first race despite their drivers topping the timesheets.

But the team knew its pace and potential, which explains why Ferrari’s boss planned this celebration during the testing itself. He said, “I thought about it a week before the race and decided after the race. Everyone at Ferrari has been waiting for the new season, and we’ve put a lot of work and passion into it. We knew we had a good car, but we didn’t realise how good it was until after the race. It was a great relief for all of us.”

The Maranello-based outfit has got the start of its dreams after several years of struggle. By bagging 78 out of the possible 88 points, they are already planning to run away with the title.

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