After four years as Scuderia Ferrari team boss, Mattia Binotto is leaving the Formula 1 racing team at the end of the year, and the former Sauber boss Frédéric Vasseur will take over Binotto’s duties with the Reds. While some F1 greats may not understand Binotto’s split, a premier-class ex-driver would have made the decision much sooner.
“He was unbearable, the way he behaved. You need a strong hand in this position,” attacked seven-time Grand Prix winner René Arnoux Binotto in an interview with “Gazzetta dello Sport”.
The fact that Ferrari 2022 after a good start ultimately had no chance in the fight for the world championship crown is not least the fault of the Frenchman Binotto. “In terms of competitiveness, the chassis and engine were top, but unfortunately the stability was not. But above all, the strategy has been messed up far too often. And that urgently needs to be cleaned up. People who are really capable are needed,” said the 149th -time Grand Prix starter.
At the traditional racing team from Maranello, the “pressure is enormous”, so you shouldn’t hesitate and show determination when making decisions. Ultimately, “only the result” counts at Ferrari. That must also get back into the minds of those responsible. Binotto embodies none of these skills for Arnoux, so he was given too much time.
“I’ve said it several times: I would have broken up with Mattia Binotto much earlier. And I hope Maranello will finally move away from uniting technical and team bosses in one person. It was a mistake to make the same man let it go,” says Arnoux plainly. “In order to be successful,” you don’t have to “know how an engine or a gearbox works.” You have to hire the right people to do the right work and set clear requirements.
Arnoux drove in Formula 1 from 1978 to 1989 and tried his luck in a Ferrari from 1983 to 1985. In total he won seven races, three of them in a Ferrari.