Ferrari boss turning blind eye to pressure ahead of new season

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has insisted he feels "no pressure" on his place at the Scuderia despite the overhanging disappointment of the team's performance from last season.

An underperforming power unit was the headline of a multitude of issues in 2020 as Ferrari laboured to sixth in the constructors' standings, with the shortcomings of the SF-1000 largely masked by the stellar performances of Charles Leclerc.

Despite being fully conscious of the position he holds at Maranello, Binotto played down the influence of pressure ahead of the new campaign.

"As team principal, no doubt I'm fully aware of the responsibility I have, being part of such a team, it's Italian excellence in the world," said Binotto, speaking at the recent team launch ahead of the physical unveiling of the car - the SF21 - on Wednesday.

"So I feel no pressure, but the responsibility and the pride. We simply need to do better, and that's part of my responsibility.

"The determination will again be important and showing progress, so that is what I'm expecting, so it's a matter of the team and drivers' mentality."

Whilst Ferrari suffered its dramatic drop-off last year, Mercedes went from strength-to-strength as Red Bull, with Max Verstappen, tried to follow the Silver Arrows at the front of the field.

Realising his current situation, Binotto conceded his team was not in need of victories but needed to show the winning spirit seen in previous campaigns.

"Certainly, last year was a big, big disappointment," he added. "We know that we cannot repeat such a bad result.

"We know that we need to do better in 2021. What I think even more clear is our will to win.

"I'm not saying we will win, we need to be realistic. There are cars very strong from last year, with the cars being partially frozen and will certainly be strong again in 2021.

"But our will to win is our commitment, our intention, our focus, being aware that every single detail counts."

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