After its worst season in four decades, Ferrari has bounced back in 2021. The team have already scored more than double its total from 2020. But Ferrari’s progress didn’t come unchallenged as they found a competitor in form of another historic team, McLaren.

McLaren and Ferrari have been part of the ‘minor battle’ in this season. But after September, the Italian team put its foot down on the throttle against their rival for third place in the Constructors championship.

Now in Qatar with three races to go, Ferrari are ahead of McLaren. And in a photograph from the Losail circuit, it seems Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto is doing all he can to keep McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo behind.

While it’s obviously a joke and good banter between Binotto and Ricciardo, fans on Twitter couldn’t help but reply with funny memes and comments.

Ferrari vs McLaren over the season

Both teams began their season with a new driver, and a younger established driver in their teams. The two teams were evenly matched until the middle of the season, but their battle took a big turning point after Monza.

Until Hungary, both McLaren and Ferrari had scored 163 points each.

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But from Spa until Monza, McLaren scored 52 points in three races, including a win in Monza. In the same span of races, Ferrari scored 38.5 points and decided to take a new engine upgrade for both its cars.

And ever since Ferrari introduced the new PU in Russia, they have scored 86 points in five races until the most recent one in Brazil. While McLaren has only scored less than half of those points, with 41 points until Brazil.

Yet Ferrari’s superior pace wasn’t apparent right after Russia, but its glimpses were shown in Istanbul. But it was in Mexico where the Prancing Horse finally overtook the Papayas and hasn’t looked back since.

With a faster car and consistent drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, Ferrari has the upper hand. And McLaren is not only slower, but they are also hampered by their two drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo neither being in sync nor being consistent.

However, if McLaren ever had a chance to re-enter the battle with Ferrari, it’s this weekend. Otherwise, the Italian team will pull further away with two races left in the season.

Also Read: McLaren Trainer Reveals How Norris and Ricciardo Handle the Pressure of a Triple Header