Ferrari Formula 1 team principal Mattia Binꦦotto has downplayed the Italian squad’s supposed straight-line speed advantage over Mercedes.

At the Chinese Grand Prix, Mercedes claimed GPS data showed Ferrari held a signif🐠icant top speed advantage on Shanghai’s long straights, though the Scuderia struggled to challenge the reigning world champions as it recorded a third consecutive one-two finish.

Ferrari has been tipped to return to form at ൲next weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but Binotto doubts his team will have a big performance advantage over its rivals.

“If you look at the spꦗeed of Mercedes [in China], I t🧜hought they were very strong as well,” Binotto said.

“So maybe we should ask them how they areཧ so good. I don’t think there is much on the straights between us and the others.

“Baku is a circuit where you have got a different aero configuration, certainly, so I think it’s not only power units, it will🏅 be aero configuration we may choose for there.

“It’s not only the straight in Baku, it’s a lot of corners. It’s a city circuit, very⛄ difficult i🐻n that respect. So let’s see.

“I think that the competitཧion is very tough, and there are races where you are maybe in front a few hundred of tenths, and races where you are behind.

“Mor𓂃e important is to keep up the development of the car, because it will be a ver💟y long race, 18 races to go.”

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton is fully expecting Ferrari to retain it♒s straight-line speed advantag🉐e over Mercedes in Baku.

“I’ve not really looked into detail why they weren’t as quick,” he said. “They were quick on the straights, they were gaining something like four-tenths on the straights overall, but they were loꦯsing in the corners.

“I think it’ll be interesting to see how long they keep that strategy. At ꦗsome places, it will be great, like probably the next race iꦛs going to be really good for them in that respect. But then in others, maybe not so much.

“It’s a really, really great track,” Hamilton added. “And it’s one that I’ve🦹 honestly struggled with a bit, particularly last year, I can’t remember the year before that. So it’ll be interesting.

“I go there with a mindset that I’ve got to try and improve on my previous yearꦆs’ performance. I was fortunate to get the win there last year, but I wasn’t quic💎k enough really through the weekend.

“That’s a place where I expect Valtteri to b🌜e quick. I think Ferrari is going to be particularly quick.”