Ferrari "extra boost" allowing team to 'chase every hundredth everywhere'

Ferrari believes its early-season form this F1 season has raised morale and led to the team now hunting every ounce of performance.

Last season was almost a write-off for the Scuderia as it suffered its worst campaign for 40 years in finishing sixth in the constructors' standings.

Buoyed by a new power unit and a fresh driver line-up as Carlos Sainz now partners Charles Leclerc, the early results from the opening two races have been promising.

Following a solid start in Bahrain with Leclerc sixth and Sainz eighth, the duo then finished fourth and fifth in Imola to give Ferrari its second-best points haul from the last 19 races.

With Ferrari in an early fight with McLaren for third in the constructors' standings, sporting director Laurent Mekies said: "The best part of it is to see the team growing, to see the team having a strong weekend together in Bahrain and Imola.

"If a strong weekend means a P4 then it is different to a strong weekend meaning a P8.

"It gives everybody that extra boost and that is what we have to do to get back into the right mindset and chase every hundredth we can everywhere.

"It is important that we keep concentrating on ourselves and keep delivering these strong performances. Where these strong performances put us is a different story."

Team principal Mattia Binotto is in no doubt Mercedes and Red Bull remain a step ahead of the chasing pack at present, maintaining that "I don’t think that can be a surprise as the gap was so big last year."

Despite the performance difference, Binotto is at least satisfied with what he has seen so far, adding: "I am happy we have managed to progress.

"But I think it will be a tight battle with McLaren for third place. Is that our objective for the season? I think our objectives are often said - it is to still prove we can progress in the areas.

"If we can do it, it is really a mentality and we will only see at the end what is the result.

“But it is more important for me to show we are capable of racing, and we have a good starting point.”

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