Ferrari ready to take ‘next steps’ in France

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto hopes to see more progress in the French Grand Prix following a near miss in Canada last time out.

Sebastian Vettel took the chequered flag ahead of world champion Lewis Hamilton in Montreal but Ferrari were denied a first win of the season when the German was handed a time-penalty post-race that ensured Hamilton claimed the spoils.

The Scuderia have nonetheless taken some renewed confidence from their efforts in Canada and will attempt to engage Mercedes in battle once more in France.

“Following Canada we definitely want to get back on track and go racing with our rivals once again,” Binotto said.

“In France we will have a few small evolutions, elements that represent for us a useful step in defining the direction we will take in developing the car.

“What we will be bringing won’t be the solution to our problems, but the technical feedback we get from these evolutions will be important for the next steps we take.”

With Ferrari intent on being competitive, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has suggested the Canadian Grand Prix was a “wake-up call” for his team and they anticipate another battle in France.

“The circuit features some similarities to Montreal and the long straights will present a challenge for us,” the Mercedes boss explained.

“However, unlike Canada, the corner characteristics are spread across a range of speeds, which should play to our advantage. We’re looking forward to the chance to put a few things right again.”

Hamilton is 1.80 to win the French Grand Prix, with Vettel priced at 5.00.