“Very difficult” for Ferrari to fight for third in F1 championship

Ferrari chief Mattia Binotto concedes it will be “very difficult” to fight for third place in the Formula 1 constructors’ championship with just four races of the 2020 season remaining. 

Amid a torrid campaign, Ferrari lies sixth in the teams’ championship and is on course to record its lowest finish in F1 since the 1980s heading into the final rounds of the season.

The Italian outfit has scored 103 points and is 32 points behind current third-placed holders Renault after the French manufacturer recorded its second podium in three races. McLaren and Racing Point sit in-between Renault and Ferrari in the standings, both a point adrift of Renault.

Ferrari has enjoyed a slight form improvement after introducing upgrades in recent races, with Charles Leclerc claiming back-to-back top five finishes in Portugal and Imola.

"Certainly I think that to try to move up in the championship will be great, but if you look at [Imola], we didn't gain any points and we lost [ground] to one team," Binotto explained.

"The battle is very tight, but I think that the car has improved. So we will try, and I think certainly our objective is try to catch up someone. But there are only four races to go, so it will be somehow very difficult.”

Meanwhile, Leclerc said he will “try absolutely everything” to catch Daniel Ricciardo for fourth place in the championship.

The Renault driver currently holds fourth place in the drivers’ championship on 95 points following his podium at Imola, 10 points clear of Leclerc, while Racing Point’s Sergio Perez is just three points behind the Monegasque.

“On my side this is definitely the target,” Leclerc added.

“The top three is unrealistic and I don’t think I can do it anymore anyway mathematically, but fourth will be good and I want to try absolutely everything to finish in that position even though it’s going to be difficult.”