Mattia Binotto has reiterated that Ferrari are continuing to work with Carlos Sainz to renew his contract that expires at the end of 2022.
Sainz joined the Scuderia from McLaren at the end of 2020 to replace Sebastian Vettel who had moved to Aston Martin, and the 27-year-old frequently impressed, scoring four podium finishes and finishing ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc in the Drivers’ Standings.
Binotto had previously stated that he wanted to get a new deal done with the Spaniard over the winter, but while no contract has been signed yet, the 52-year-old assured fans that the final pieces of the puzzle are being put together.
“We are working on it every day. The intention is common and it’s just a matter of details to reach a conclusion,” he said, as quoted by PlanetF1.
What he is still cloudy on is the precise timeframe for finalising negotiations, but he maintains that the two parties have been making good progress.
“What I do not know exactly is the moment when we will agree on everything but we are all happy and there are steps forward,” he added.
As for Sainz, he says he has complete belief in Ferrari and wants to continue with the Scuderia.
While no new deal has been agreed upon just yet, Sainz was adamant during the unveiling of Ferrari’s F1-75 2022 car that he is keen to renew his association with the Maranello squad.
“I have to say there’s nothing to say,” he told the German edition of Motorsport.com.
“We are both happy with the situation and want to continue working together,” he added, insisting that it is “pretty clear” that they want to continue beyond 2022.
After unveiling a “brave” design under the all-new technical regulations ahead of the new season, the Mercedes pair of Sir Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have both suggested that Ferrari are the favourites for the forthcoming season, but Binotto dismissed this, saying that the Silver Arrows are much further ahead than they would have us believe.
“I’m pretty sure that they will be two or three months ahead of us by the time we will be in Bahrain!” he told Sky Sports after the first pre-season test in Spain.
“I think that it’s very difficult today to judge the performance and the relative competitiveness between the teams.”
The true pace of the teams will be disclosed when they hit the track in anger for the first time in 2022 at this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix.