Mattia Binotto resigns as Ferrari team principle

His resignation comes after weeks of speculation that his position was under threat after a failed championship challenge. It was a season laced with mistakes by the Ferrari team that saw a promising start to the year crumble into disarray by the summer break.

Binotto’s run at the helm comes to an end almost three years after he replaced Maurizio Arrivabene in January 2019. In that time he has overseen a tumultuous period for the Scuderia that saw the team compete with Mercedes for the championship before having the integrity of its engine called into doubt which saw the team sign a secret settlement with the FIA.

Since then the team has been gradually struggling back to the top of the sport, and looked to have reached the peak when Charles Leclerc scampered into an early championship lead in 2022. However, a mix of poor reliability, strategy blunders and driver error saw that challenge fade away with a whimper as Max Verstappen and Red Bull won the championship in dominant fashion.

Ferrari and Binotto had both denied the rumours of this announcement as recently as one week ago, but now it is clear the team is ready to seek new direction, with a replacement due to be announced in the new year.

In a statement, Binotto said: “With the regret that this entails, I have decided to conclude my collaboration with Ferrari. 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. I would like to thank all the people at the Gestione Sportiva who have shared this journey with me, made up of difficulties but also of great satisfaction.”

CEO of Ferrari, Benedetto Vigna commented: “I would like to thank Mattia for his many great contributions over 28 years with Ferrari and particularly for leading the team back to a position of competitiveness during this past year. As a result, we are in a strong position to renew our challenge, above all 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 well for the future.”

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.