Photo: Ferrari
After many weeks of speculation, Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto resigned from his position. Whether that was his own uninfluenced decision or Ferrari management pushed him out, we do not know, but it certainly brings interesting prospects for both him and the team.
While he has been under fire because the Scuderia has not managed to win a championship, he has been marked by most Ferrari fans as the main problem in the team. Binotto has been a part of Ferrari for 28 years and has some great achievements under his belt.
From working on two impressive race cars in 2017 and 2018 to managing a restructuring of the team and pushing for Leclerc’s promotion, he has been pouring his heart and soul into the team. He’s also responsible for the pairing between the Monegasque and Carlos Sainz, as he thought the two would make a strong lineup.
However, that is barely the peak of his career with the team. Binotto has been a key figure at Ferrari since 2004, when he was appointed as head of the trackside Engine Department for the race team. He was then promoted again in 2007 and was put in charge of the power unit operations. He has clearly proven his worth in those departments, considering Ferrari won both Championships in 2007 and the World Constructor’s Championship in 2008.
Considering Binotto's career, what the Italian media reports comes as no surprise. It appears that Ferrari’s former Team Principal has already been approached by four teams, including Alpine, Aston Martin, and an undisclosed top team.
Clearly, his experience and expertise could be a godsend to any of the smaller teams, considering what he was able to achieve with Ferrari. However, it is the spot at a top team that is intriguing, because that could only be either Red Bull or Mercedes.
Poaching capable engineers from opposing teams is something that Red Bull has been aggressively doing for the past couple of years, and it would logical for them to approach Binotto as well. However, given the latest budget cap drama, paying his salary would be a discouraging factor for them.
This leaves Mercedes as the team most likely to bring the Italian-Swiss engineer into their fold. And things seem to look a lot better for the 53-year old than they are for Ferrari at the moment since the Scuderia has not yet found a suitable replacement.
From working on two impressive race cars in 2017 and 2018 to managing a restructuring of the team and pushing for Leclerc’s promotion, he has been pouring his heart and soul into the team. He’s also responsible for the pairing between the Monegasque and Carlos Sainz, as he thought the two would make a strong lineup.
However, that is barely the peak of his career with the team. Binotto has been a key figure at Ferrari since 2004, when he was appointed as head of the trackside Engine Department for the race team. He was then promoted again in 2007 and was put in charge of the power unit operations. He has clearly proven his worth in those departments, considering Ferrari won both Championships in 2007 and the World Constructor’s Championship in 2008.
Considering Binotto's career, what the Italian media reports comes as no surprise. It appears that Ferrari’s former Team Principal has already been approached by four teams, including Alpine, Aston Martin, and an undisclosed top team.
Clearly, his experience and expertise could be a godsend to any of the smaller teams, considering what he was able to achieve with Ferrari. However, it is the spot at a top team that is intriguing, because that could only be either Red Bull or Mercedes.
Poaching capable engineers from opposing teams is something that Red Bull has been aggressively doing for the past couple of years, and it would logical for them to approach Binotto as well. However, given the latest budget cap drama, paying his salary would be a discouraging factor for them.
This leaves Mercedes as the team most likely to bring the Italian-Swiss engineer into their fold. And things seem to look a lot better for the 53-year old than they are for Ferrari at the moment since the Scuderia has not yet found a suitable replacement.
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