Ferrari Team’s Principal, Mattia Binotto, on Tuesday, resigned his position, official statement confirmed.
Binotto will leave his post at the end of December. It is reported Binotto may be replaced by the current Alfa Romeo principal Fred Vasseur but Ferrari have only stated in their announcement that a new principal will be appointed in the new year.
Binotto’s position after four seasons as principal is believed to have become untenable after he lost the confidence of the Ferrari president, John Elkann, following a season where the team was left looking helpless and, on occasion, amateurish by a dominant Red Bull and Max Verstappen.
“With the regret that this entails, I have decided to conclude my collaboration with Ferrari,” said Binotto.
“I am leaving a company that I love, which I have been part of for 28 years, with the serenity that comes from the conviction that I have made every effort to achieve the objectives set. I leave a united and growing team. A strong team, ready, I’m sure, to achieve the highest goals, to which I wish all the best for the future. I think it is right to take this step at this time as hard as this decision has been for me,” he added.
Binotto took on the post in 2019 but has failed to turn around the fortunes at Ferrari since then. The team have still not taken a constructors’ title since 2008 and a drivers’ championship since 2007. After a positive first year the 53-year-old oversaw a disastrous season in 2020, when the car was seriously down on power, was a handful to drive and they finished sixth, their worst season since 1980 when they were 10th.
Much stock was placed in a resurgence under the new regulations imposed this year and initially Ferrari looked to have emerged as front-runners. Charles Leclerc won two of the opening three races in a car that was hugely competitive.
However, as the season progressed and Red Bull out-developed the Scuderia, the team were repeatedly found wanting with a series of failures in reliability, strategy and from the drivers Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
Verstappen cantered to the title and Red Bull sealed the constructors’ crown with equal ease. Ferrari were out of the title fight almost by the midpoint of the season and although they finished second, were 205 points behind Red Bull.
