The stories about Ferrari chiefs Mattia Binotto and Louis Camilleri are not linked.

That is the word from acting Ferrari team boss Laurent Mekies, who is temporarily leading the Maranello outfit after Binotto returned to Italy feeling unwell.

"I was with Binotto in Bahrain and he was not well after the grand prix," Frenchman Mekies said.

"It is nothing to do with covid, but the doctors have advised him to go home to get better treatment. It's not serious - he's fine."

Mekies denied, however, that Binotto's sudden return to Italy has anything to do with the shock news about Ferrari president Camilleri's resignation.

"No, Camilleri's decision has nothing to do with it," Mekies told Sky Italia.

"We learned about this news more or less at the same moment that you learned about it in the press," he revealed.

"We didn't expect it. We know that he was recently positive with covid-19, fortunately without ever being in danger of his life, but for sure it would have been a very hard thing and probably this weighed into his decision," said Mekies.

"Camilleri has always given incredible support to the team together with John Elkann, even in a particularly difficult season and therefore our thoughts are with him at the moment."