Ferrari was clear that both its drivers had equal footing throughout 2021, with ๊team orders only imposed to benefit the team’s prospects amid its intense battle with McLaren over third place in the constructors’ championship, which it eventually prevailed in. 

Sainz and Leclerc were closely matched throughout ღthe campaign, with Sainz finishing aheadꦦ in the drivers’ standings by five and a half points. Earlier in the season, Binotto had declared his team’s line-up as being the best on the F1 grid. 

Binotto confirmed 🎉that Ferrari will not adopt a policy of having a number one driver in 2022. 

“In terms of drivers, as we often s꧃aid, it’s the track that will dictate it,” Binotto said. 

“The priority is always the team, but no doubt, if they can compete for an important position in the championship, it will be the track that will tell who is ahead. 🌳;

“Sometimes it’s not only about driver talent and driver capacity - a driver can be a lot u🦩nfortunate, and having damages, reliabilౠity issues, or crashes. 

“We will not have a policy of number one and number two. We will s🔴imply discuss it in terms of positions on track whenever it will be time.” 

Despite being beaten by Sainz in their first year as teammates together, Binotto stressed he ha♚d been “very happy” with Leclerc’s performances across the seas༒on and pointed out that the Monegasque lost around 40 points due to bad luck. 

“I think he's has always been somehow very𒀰 fast in qualifying, even in the last part of the season where maybe Carlos was challenging him a bit more,” Binotto said. 

“I think we should not forget that in the season, there are a couple of examples, which is Monaco and Budapest🐠, where he didn't score. I think he has been unlucky as a driver💝 in those occasions.

“Without those, and it’s difficult to say where he would have finished, 🔯but maybe at least 40 points is missing from his classification. So without that, again, I think he would have been a lot further ahead in the championship.

“So that's why again I can only judge very positively his season. He has learned, furthermore, how to mana📖ge the tyres, how to manage the race situations and the race pace. So I am quite p♐leased on the progress he has made.”