Formula 1
The added complication Ferrari faces in its hunt for Binotto's F1 successor
As the dust begins to settle from Mattia Binotto’s exit as Ferrari’s Formula 1 chief following confirmation of his resignation, officials in Maranello now face a two-sided problem.
Roberto Chinchero Luke Smith
Edited: Dec 1, 2022, 10:02 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Tuesday's announcement that Binotto would be leaving his role as team principal at the end of the season came following weeks of speculation he was being ushered towards the exit after 28 years.
Ferrari said in the statement making Binotto's departure official that the process to find a new team principal was "underway" and "expected to be finalised in the new year."
Alfa Romeo F1 boss Frederic Vasseur is the favourite for the job, with the links dating back several weeks as the rumours began to swirl in the paddock.
But replacing the man at the very top of the F1 operation is not the only challenge that Ferrari chairman John Elkann and CEO Benedetto Vigna now face: they also need to find a new technical chief.
Upon taking the reins at Ferrari in 2019, Binotto adopted an unconventional dual role running the team, as no replacement was promoted into his previous role as technical chief.
Binotto rose through the ranks at Maranello after starting out as an engineer, becoming the head of Ferrari's engine department before taking over as chief technical officer in 2016 following the departure of James Allison.
As a result, Binotto has remained involved with the technical department at Ferrari over the past four seasons, delegating some responsibilities while maintaining supervision and also operating as team principal.
It means Ferrari now faces the task of filling not one but two of the most senior roles in its F1 team, seemingly without any in-house replacements who are ready to step in. On the team principal side, proof of this comes in the fact Ferrari did not have a successor ready to name upon confirming Binotto's departure, prompting it to look outside of the team.
Mattia Binotto, Ferrari Team Principal, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Laurent Mekies, Ferrari Racing Director
Photo by: Ferrari
Unless Ferrari can find someone with a similar background to Binotto who would be capable of the dual role as both team principal and technical chief, it is likely its internal structure will need to change, potentially returning to the more conventional approach of having a bespoke technical boss.
But the added challenge on this front is that many of the top names established in F1 will be subject to long periods of gardening leave.
When Aston Martin secured Dan Fallows from Red Bull to join as its new technical chief, it took 10 months before he could start work - and that was only after a deal was struck to shorten his gardening leave.
Read Also:
- Why Binotto's exit leaves Ferrari with an impossible target for F1 2023
- Binotto resigns as Ferrari F1 team principal
It would be a big ask for Ferrari to get someone from outside of the team in time for the 2023 season, meaning an internal promotion is likely - although this will also require a rejigging of its technical department.
As important as it will be for Ferrari to find the right person to head up the team moving forward in the wake of Binotto's departure, securing a strong technical chief is the other key battle it now faces, particularly given the strength of those departments at Red Bull and Mercedes.
Binotto's exit has created a domino effect that is more complex than appointing a like-for-like replacement, should any even exist. It means there is little time to waste if Ferrari wants to have a stable leadership in place so it can mount a sustained challenge for both titles in 2023 and end its drought.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Why Binotto's exit leaves Ferrari with an impossible target for F1 2023
Next article Alpine arrived at first F1 test "in shambles" before 2022 recovery
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Roberto Chinchero
Gabriel Bortoleto on Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar's F1 success: 'Let's see where we are in 20 years'
Formula 1
Formula 1
Singapore GP
9 h
Gabriel Bortoleto on Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar's F1 success: 'Let's see where we are in 20 years'
Ferrari’s Vigna on Vasseur and fake news: “There is only one reality”
Formula 1
Formula 1
Bahrain GP in Malaysia
Ferrari’s Vigna on Vasseur and fake news: “There is only one reality”
More from
Ferrari
Ferrari promotes F2 racer to F1 reserve driver role
Formula 1
Formula 1
Singapore GP
Ferrari promotes F2 racer to F1 reserve driver role
The six drivers doing double duty in Portimao GTWCE and Barcelona WEC this weekend
WEC
WEC
Barcelona
The six drivers doing double duty in Portimao GTWCE and Barcelona WEC this weekend
Latest news
Ryan Blaney kind of faces a must-win scenario this weekend at Phoenix
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Phoenix II
16 min
Ryan Blaney kind of faces a must-win scenario this weekend at Phoenix
Catching Larson in the NASCAR Chase has to start at track where 'I suck'
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Phoenix II
1 h
Catching Larson in the NASCAR Chase has to start at track where 'I suck'
Verstappen charges from 24th to ninth as GetSpeed wins Portimao GTWC finale
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance
WCEE GT World Challenge Europe Endurance 2 h
Verstappen charges from 24th to ninth as GetSpeed wins Portimao GTWC finale
Colton Herta “maybe underestimated the difference” from IndyCar – F2 boss
FIA F2
F2 FIA F2 6 h
Colton Herta “maybe underestimated the difference” from IndyCar – F2 boss
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe