Binotto proud of Sainz for beating Verstappen in British qualifying

"Everyone is happy for Sainz. He deserved it. He's been working towards it for a long time and he's been hoping for it for a while. He took pole at Silverstone in difficult conditions, so it is well deserved," Binotto told Sky's Italian arm. After a difficult start to the season, the Madrid native seems to be getting into better shape. "He has more and more confidence in this car. He was able to stay calm and that calmness allowed him to peak at the right time."

Verstappen beaten by Sainz

Sainz managed to trump Verstappen with a difference of just over seven hundredths. Binotto calls that a fine achievement. "Max was definitely fast and strong, he was also fast in the third free practice when it was still dry. Max also proved to be fast in qualifying, but we fought and tried to get the best out of the car. We were competitive and these conditions prove that our car is fast on dry and wet tarmac."

According to the 52-year-old top man, Ferrari could have scored a one-two if Charles Leclerc had not made a mistake in his final run. Binotto, however, knows better than anyone that the points will not be distributed until Sunday."Now we are focusing on tomorrow's race. That will be the most important part of the weekend." The Maranello-based formation will be hoping that reliability problems do not arise in Britain.