Mattia Binotto is out at Ferrari. There had been rumours within Formula 1 about Binotto’s uncertain future, and Ferrari finally confirmed last week that their Team Principal would indeed depart at the end of the year after four years in charge.
While the Scuderia saw some success under Binotto, they still fell short of their ultimate goal to return to the top of the Formula 1 hierarchy.
Binotto’s exit now presents an opportunity for Ferrari to find the one who can lead them back to the pinnacle of the sport. But who will they choose?
Read on below as SBOTOP looks back at Binotto’s four years in charge at Ferrari, why he left, and what’s next for the Prancing Horse.
Binotto’s time at Ferrari
Binotto, who had spent over 20 years in Ferrari, was finally promoted to the top post in January 2019 as he replaced Maurizio Arrivabene just a couple of months before the start of the season.
With promising young driver Charles Leclerc partnering four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari finished second for the third season in a row.
But the following season was much more challenging as Ferrari fell to sixth, their worst finish in the constructors’ standings since 1973, during the pandemic-affected season.
Those poor results probably played some part in Ferrari’s decision to part ways with Sebastian Vettel as they failed to come to terms on a new deal.
Binotto picked Carlos Sainz to replace Vettel for the 2021 season, where Ferrari improved but again found themselves well behind Mercedes and Red Bull in the standings as they prioritised the development side.
Those development efforts seemed to bear fruit in early 2022 as they made a strong start to the season with a one-two in Bahrain and a double podium in Saudi Arabia.
But Ferrari’s Formula 1 2022 odds of winning their first constructors’ championship since 2008 quickly faded away as reliability problems, strategic miscalculations, and driver errors saw the Scuderia surrender control back to Red Bull.
While Ferrari finished second behind Red Bull, they were far from the title contenders they had looked to be early on.
Binotto’s departure from Ferrari
Amid the disappointment of a once-promising 2022 season, speculation about Binotto’s future as Scuderia boss had already begun even before the end of the campaign.
Ferrari initially denied these rumours, but they eventually confirmed on November 29 that Binotto was indeed on his way out.
Binotto lost one of his biggest champions after Louis Camillieri stepped down as Ferrari CEO in December 2020.
Camillieri had a lot of confidence in Binotto’s ability to get Ferrari back to challenging for championships. But when he left, Binotto no longer had the complete backing of the board.
Some reports have stated that Ferrari had been looking at potential replacements as early as 2021. And as the 2022 season unfolded with underwhelming Formula 1 2022 results, it eventually became clear to Binotto that the team were ready to move in a different direction.
Binotto’s potential replacement as Ferrari boss
The big question now is who will replace Binotto as Ferrari team boss. Ferrari have said that they expect to finalise a deal for Binotto’s successor in the new year.
Alfa Romeo’s Fred Vasseur has emerged as a popular pick for the job. He has significant experience in big organisations and has done a fine job in lifting Alfa Romeo to respectability.
Moreover, Vasseur has a prior relationship with Ferrari’s top driver, Charles Leclerc, whom he gave his F1 debut back in 2018.
But the Ferrari job is arguably the most high-profile position in the sport, and it would be a massive task for Vasseur to join them from Alfa Romeo and turn them into a title contender once again.
Meanwhile, Red Bull’s Team Principal Christian Horner recently ruled himself out of the job as he remained committed to Red Bull.
Whoever replaces Binotto as Ferrari boss will have a tough task on his hands. As Max Verstappen and Red Bull have shown this season, the Scuderia are still some ways away from the top, and it will take a lot to knock them off their perch.
That’s just the harsh reality as Binotto couldn’t quite bring Ferrari back to their former glory in his four years in charge, which is a significant reason why he is no longer with the team.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FORMULA 1 STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
