Last year, Binotto sat at the Turkey and Bahrain Grand Prix to work from Ferrari as a test run for this season when teams are forced to combine a busy calendar with an intense development program for the brand new cars of 2022.
Binotto also missed the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix due to illness and handed the reins on to Ferrari’s sports director Laurent Mekies.
Following the 2020 experiment, Binotto had selected Turkey as one of the 2021 race weekends to stay home so he could oversee Ferrari’s 2022 car project.
On Sunday he said he also wanted to suspend long air travel to Mexico and Brazil.
“This is one of those races that I had as my goal to be home,” he said.
“Of course the calendar has changed a few times since the beginning, so I changed my plans a little, but Turkey was certainly one of them.
“I’ll skip at least two races before the end of the season. At the moment I am planning Mexico and Brazil.
“The reason is, as you can imagine, especially Mexico and Brazil, overseas, it’s a long journey while there is clearly a lot to do here in Maranello, it’s a whole team that is sort of to manage, both the chassis as well as the aggregate, and the entire organization. “
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF21, is on the starting grid
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Binotto says his presence at home is helpful as the Ferrari 2022 project is entering a “critical phase” in the final stages of its design process, and he has commended Mekies for his efforts to run Ferrari on the racetrack.
“With regard to the development in 2022, we are certainly in a critical phase in which the time is getting closer,” he said.
“I am pleased to be here. On Thursday and Friday I can certainly concentrate better in the office on what is happening here in Maranello. On Saturday and Sunday I dedicate myself fully to the race weekend.
“I don’t have the networks in the paddock, but Laurent Mekies can do a great job. I’m very happy with the way he runs the whole team when I’m not there so I’m very happy with it.”
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