F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Binotto plays down Ferrari's prospects for Silverstone

Ferrari is adopting a defensive stance at the outset for this week's British Grand Prix, with team boss Mattia Binotto cautioning that Silverstone won't favour the Scuderia's SF90.

The Italian outfit took advantage of Mercedes' unexpected cooling issues in Austria to outpace the Silver Arrows outfit, with Charles Leclerc contending for a race win he would ultimately be forced to concede to Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Binotto doesn't see the Scuderia upholding its Spielberg form at Silverstone, regardless of how Mercedes performs, although the Swiss won't discard the potential for another upset at a venue where Ferrari prevailed in 2018.

"Silverstone is one of the toughest tracks of the season, providing a real test of a car’s set-up and balance," Binotto said in the Scuderia British Grand Prix preview.

"Tyres also come under a lot of strain here and the amount they wear plays a key role in how your race pans out.

©Ferrari

"We do not expect Silverstone to suit our car particularly well, but at every race, we have seen that the balance of power can change, often unexpectedly."
As usual, Ferrari will bring a few updates in its bags and will continue to optomize the SF90's most recent changes.

"For the British Grand Prix we are bringing a further small aerodynamic modification as we continue to push hard on the development of our car," the Swiss engineer added.

"The weekend will also be an opportunity to increase our understanding of the recent work we did, which has seen us close the gap to our competitors on specific types of track."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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