Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto says the team must halt its three-race streak of taking pole position and failing to win.

The team’s third consecutive defeat from pole position on Sunday was the first time this has happened to any F1 team for six years . Despite this, Binotto found positives to draw from the weekend.

“I think obviously now we can’t be happy for the result of today,” he said following the race on Sunday. “But I think overall as a team, we should be happy for the weekend.

“We got another pole. I think we got a good pace in the race. And that’s on a type of circuit like Mexico, which is very similar to Hungary, where you need the maximum downforce.

“That is simply showing that we’ve done improvements since then. Great improvements. Today we also have to battle and to fight for the win, which was not certainly the case in Hungary.”

Ferrari’s last three results Race Driver Grid Finish Russia Sebastian Vettel 3 Retired Charles Leclerc 1 3 Japan Sebastian Vettel 1 2 Charles Leclerc 2 6 Mexico Sebastian Vettel 2 2 Charles Leclerc 1 4

Binotto expects the team to be in contention for victory in this weekend’s race at the Circuit of the Americas, where it won last year.

“Our objective is to win and we we’ve got I think the opportunity and possibility to do it,” he said. “Let’s try now at least to start on pole and win and not start on pole and not winning.

“That’s something we are hoping [for],” Binotto added, “but I’m pretty sure we can do it, yes.”

Ferrari have taken nine pole positions and scored three race wins – two for Charles Leclerc and one for Sebastian Vettel – from the 18 races so far this year.

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2019 F1 season