Mattia Binotto has been at the helm of Ferrari since 2019; the Italian team made a promising start to the 2022 season, but failed to win the last 11 races of the season; The Italian will leave the position on December 31.
Mattia Binotto has resigned as Ferrari team principal.
Binotto will leave his position on December 31, while the team expects to name his replacement in early 2023. There are already rumors that Frederic Vasseur, boss of Alfa Romeo affiliated with Ferrari, will join.
Ferrari looked in the running to end the long wait for titles after a strong start to the 2022 season, but failed to win any of the last 11 races of the season amid performance slippage and finished a distant second to Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship.
Although the Italian team ultimately lacked the pace to compete with Red Bull, the combination of reliability issues and repeated strategy mistakes put Binotto under pressure, with rumors of him being sacked ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
At the time, Ferrari said reports that Binotto would be sacked were “totally baseless”, but less than two weeks after that denial, the team released a statement confirming the 53-year-old’s departure.
This ends a three-year reign at the head of the most famous Formula 1 team and a career that has spanned a total of 28 years.
Quote from Mattia Binotto about his dismissal
“It is with the regret that this entails that I have decided to end my partnership with Ferrari,” said Binotto, who had previously pushed for his stay until 2023.
“I am leaving a company I love, which I have been a part of for 28 years, with the serenity that comes from the belief that I did everything I could to achieve the goals I set.
“I leave behind a united and growing team. A strong team, ready, I am sure, to achieve the highest goals, for which I wish all the best for the future. I think it is right to take this step at this time as no matter how difficult this decision has been for me.”
“I would like to thank all the people of the Gestione Sportiva who have shared with me this journey, which is full of difficulties, but also of great satisfaction.”
Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna added: “I would like to thank Mattia for his many great contributions during 28 years at Ferrari and in particular for bringing the team back to a competitive position over the past year.
“This puts us in a strong position to renew our challenge, especially for our amazing fans around the world, to win the ultimate prize in motorsport. Everyone here at the Scuderia and in the wider Ferrari community wishes Mattia the best for the future.”
What went wrong for Mattia Binotto?
Binotto quickly rose through the ranks at Ferrari, becoming head of the engine department in 2013 and then Chief Technical Officer in 2016, before replacing Maurizio Arrivabene as team principal in 2019. It was hoped that Binotto, a more sedate presence than Arrivabene, would help Ferrari improve their first title to claim since 2008.
Binotto’s first year in charge was controversial, with Ferrari competitive – especially in qualifying – but also involved in an engine scandal that led him to settle with the FIA after the season.
Ferrari turned things around in 2020 with a car design that failed spectacularly, endured its worst season in four decades and also struggled in midfield the following season, when Binotto made the decision to replace four-time champion Sebastian Vettel with Carlos Sainz. 2022 was the big target for Binotto and his team with completely new rules and cars – and initially it was a successful test.
Ferrari started the new season with the fastest car, continuously beating Mercedes and battling Red Bull. Charles Leclerc won two of the first three races to lead the championship early on.
But Ferrari started throwing away wins and points with mechanical failures and, more frustratingly, strategic errors. Pit stop errors and wrong choices became a theme of Ferrari’s season and – even after Red Bull got ahead of them with their car upgrades – it is those failures that may have cost Binotto his job.
Binotto has long defended his team and has long insisted that they target an improved 2023, although internal and external pressure has now led to his sacking and an opening as Ferrari’s boss.
Image: Callo Albanese by Ferrari Spa, CC BY-SA 4.0via Wikimedia Commons