Third the "minimum objective" for Ferrari this year - Binotto

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has set a "minimum objective" of finishing third in this season's constructors' championship.

Last year Ferrari endured its worst campaign since 1980 as the Scuderia could only manage sixth in the standings, scoring just 131 points, and with 98 of those won by Charles Leclerc.

Following a solid result in the Turkish Grand Prix, with former Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel and Leclerc finishing third and fourth, the team briefly flirted with McLaren, Racing Point and Renault in the fight for third.

A return of just one point from the final three races, however, dropped Ferrari 50 points behind fifth-place Renault.

Binotto is aware history cannot repeat itself this year. He said: "The team was capable of finishing second in four of the previous five years except for one third.

"So I think third is not fully impossible. I think that should be at least our minimum objective for this season." For the coming season, Vettel has been replaced with Carlos Sainz.

Binotto, though, remains fully aware of the magnitude of the task as none of the teams directly ahead of Ferrari will be standing still.

"Finishing third will not be an easy job," added Binotto. "It will be difficult because there will be teams who will be very strong this year.

"I think McLaren will be very strong again, they have an upgrade on the power unit.

"Overall, I think it will be a difficult objective but still, I believe as a team, we can at least, as a minimum objective, try to achieve it."

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