Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto says he now recognizes the importance of the Netflix racing series, “Formula 1: Drive To Survive,” after the team opted out of its debut season.
The show, which pulled back the curtain on the historically secretive sport, premiered in 2019 without the involvement of Ferrari or Mercedes. Three years and four seasons later, however, Binotto is singing its praises.
“At the very start we were not so confident,” Binotto recently told The Post at the Miami Grand Prix, following the news that “Drive to Survive” had been renewed for a fifth and sixth season.
“But we certainly understand how important it is for Formula 1 and how important it is for Ferrari … and vice versa,” Binotto said, noting the team’s involvement in the series — which has been credited with boosting the sport’s popularity in the US — was “just as important for Netflix.”
“It’s a win-win situation.”
Ferrari and Mercedes were featured in the show’s second season, which was released in 2020.
Elsewhere, Binotto likened Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Saintz to “rockstars,” as their notoriety has grown amid the team’s stellar start to the 2022 season.
“We are finally where we need to be, and where everybody’s expecting Ferrari to be,” he said, adding how their performance was a “big relief” after two difficult seasons.
Leclerc, 24, is currently leading the championship from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen — a far cry from his 2020 campaign, which saw him finish eighth while the Prancing Horse placed sixth in the constructors.
“They’ve got pressure this year not only because [they race for] Ferrari but because they’ve got a good opportunity … the car is competitive,” Binotto said.
“When you’ve got the opportunity, you do all you can to try to win … to be competitive is one matter, winning is another.”
With Verstappen, 24, closing in on Leclerc following the former’s third win of the season at the inaugural Miami Grand Prix, Binotto said the Ferrari ace was remaining “conscious and calm.”
“They’ve had fights in the past, they know each other,” he said, referencing the pair’s long history, which dates back to karting competitions at the age of 12.
“Charles has won titles so he knows how to drive in these situations. His focus is calm, the level of excitement is a positive one … Certainly, there’s always room for improvement but I can see he’s focused and he can do it.”