According to an Express report, Mattia Binotto has resigned from his position as team principal of Ferrari to provide his possible replacements with a lucrative chance.
Fans of Formula 1 won’t be overly surprised by Mattia Binotto’s departure from Ferrari after spending 28 years with the Italian car brand, given the months of rumors that have preceded it and the displeasing results of the team’s 2022 season.
After a humiliating seventh-place finish two years earlier, Ferrari finished second in the Constructors’ Championship this season as a sign of their ongoing improvement. However, many had anticipated that they would adequately challenge Red Bull.
Three years after being selected to succeed Maurizio Arrivabene, the engineer, who spent most of his career with the Prancing Horse, announced his departure from the team on Tuesday. Though Binotto was capable of assuring fans that the choice to go was his own, many anticipated Ferrari to fire him before.
In comparison to his predecessor, Binotto was a more laid-back character in that job, however, the 48-year-old finally paid the price for his disappointing performances this season as Red Bull prevailed with 17 victories out of 22; by contrast, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc combined for just four.
Ferrari has struggled with strategy and power unit issues during a season where it was anticipated that they would at the very least be able to fight and put Red Bull on the back foot.
Senior management of Ferrari is now searching for a new boss, however, an appointment is not likely until the following year. However, Express identifies four prospective candidates who may be interested in the position in light of reports that Ross Brawn and Christian Horner rejected the team.
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- Mattia Binotto has resigned as Ferrari F1 team principal.
Laurent Mekies
Ferrari is a special team because of the way it is handled, with people who are promoted from the inside and who have automotive experience outside of Formula 1. Mekies now joins the fray as a credible contender to succeed Binotto in that position.
Mekies, who is now working as the assistant principal for the team, has just been given the authority by the hierarchy to handle communication in Binotto’s absence. When addressing problems within the team, the French engineer has often appeared confident and strong.
Allowing the assistant team principal to prove he is deserving of the main position permanently seems like the reasonable next step. The only thing that may work against him should he decide to apply for the job is his involvement in the Binotto era.
Frederic Vasseur
Vasseur checks practically all the boxes for Ferrari in terms of requirement fulfillment. The Frenchman, who currently serves as the head of the combined Alfa Romeo Sauber motorsport brand, has extensive experience overseeing F1 teams. Under his leadership, real advancements have been achieved there.
Vasseur has experience with a Ferrari engine and has a working grasp of the Ferrari systems, which might be a benefit to them in reducing their reliability issues. Additionally, having given their top driver Charles Leclerc his F1 breakthrough in 2018, he has a good working connection with him.
It has been reported repeatedly in France and Italy that the 54-year-old will replace Binotto, but it would be unexpected to see Ferrari go outside of their own team as they are looking to win more titles in future.
Guenther Steiner
The Austrian team principal of the Haas F1 team is well-known in the paddock for his straightforward, honest attitude to racing-related matters, which may prove to be a ray of sunshine at Ferrari where work is typically conducted in secret and privately.
Few would disagree that Steiner has worked hard under Gene Haas for the greater part of six years and deserves his chance at a major F1 job. Given that Steiner started his professional career with Red Bull, he has a plethora of competencies, and his track record of managing a tough driver pairing suggests that he could manage Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
Despite the fact that Mekies and Vasseur appear to be more likely to land the job at this moment, Haas’ progression in 2022 from an abysmal season to ninth place in the Constructors’ Championship should be acknowledged.
Maurizio Arrivabene
The contentious manner of his departure in 2018 gave the impression that the reticent Italian, who had already paid the price for Sebastian Vettel’s unsuccessful title challenge with the team, would never be able to return.
However, recent comments from Arrivabene suggest the marketing professional might be compelled to make a return to Formula 1 if Ferrari were to present such an opportunity. Arrivabene appeared to suggest recently that Binotto should be fired when he was received by Tifosi supporters in Italy, which led some to believe that he could seek to succeed him.
He is now the chief executive officer of Serie A club Juventus FC. He and the club, however, are in disarray as a result of problems with the club’s board, where so many members resigned. Returning to a pleasant atmosphere with a decent car on top would be too appealing to pass up.
