Generally they arrive again. In current days, former Ferrari workforce boss Mattia Binotto additionally talked in regards to the Maranello workforce and Lewis Hamilton. He shares his opinion on the present F1 period beneath Maranello’s path — and he does so bluntly. There are personalities on this planet of sport which are extremely divisive. Mattia Binotto is undoubtedly one in all them, not less than in our a part of the world. His lengthy tenure on the helm of the Prancing Horse was marked by clear highs and lows.
Sadly, essentially the most profitable durations weren’t sufficient to carry world titles again to the Italian facet They had been too quick to gasoline real hopes of success. One of many defining traits of his administration was the will to centralize “his powers.” For 5 seasons, he was each workforce principal and technical director of the Maranello-based workforce, exhibiting little inclination to delegate a lot, if something.
Regardless of counting on the unconditional assist of his inside circle, the Lausanne-born supervisor all the time made choices with out listening an excessive amount of to others. These choices weren’t taken evenly, however nonetheless made with nice confidence. After over thirty years at Ferrari, Mattia Binotto now faces the best problem of his profession. It’s a troublesome state of affairs, however it doesn’t appear to have began off badly.
We’re speaking about Audi’s entry into F1. Definitely, the German model has no expertise within the prime class of motorsport, though it has written chapters of historical past in different, equally demanding contexts. Audi’s debut is made attainable due to the brand new regulatory framework — a state of affairs that ought to get rid of the technological benefit held by present groups within the paddock.
Sauber’s ultimate season in F1, earlier than altering its title, has to this point exceeded expectations. This can be a workforce that final yr scored solely 4 factors, due to Zhou Guanyu’s eighth place in Bahrain. In 2025, after 9 races, the factors tally has quadrupled. That is no coincidence, even when this can be a transitional championship. Monitor operations have additionally clearly improved.
In previous seasons, their pit stops had been extra like freeway relaxation space breaks than tyre modifications worthy of the highest tier of motorsport. A considerably harsh comparability, however one that completely captures the concept. It’s onerous to quantify how a lot of this turnaround is all the way down to the previous Ferrari determine, and maybe it doesn’t even matter that a lot. The true aim is to start out the brand new period of turbo-hybrid F1 on the correct foot.
Those that depart the Maranello workforce usually expertise a sudden change of perspective. Professionals who had proven their full worth with rivals after which managed to hit the mark in different settings. For instance, we might point out Aldo Costa, James Allison, Andrea Stella, and plenty of others. Discover how anybody who leaves the Prancing Horse systematically tries to keep away from talking in regards to the historic Italian-based workforce.
It’s unclear whether or not this silence is because of agreements with Ferrari or just because the parting wasn’t precisely peaceable. However not like his illustrious predecessors, Mattia Binotto has by no means held again in giving his opinion on issues involving the Prancing Horse. In current months, he plainly admitted that he would by no means have signed Lewis Hamilton.
Who didn’t assume again to those phrases when, within the ultimate laps of the Spanish Grand Prix, Nico Hülkenberg’s Sauber simply overtook the SF-25 of the seven-time world champion? In Maranello, they had been fast to level out that each Ferrari automobiles had points with the restart after the Security Automotive — however a Sauber overtaking a Ferrari beneath regular situations is pure science fiction.
In current days, Mattia Binotto doubled down on his view relating to Ferrari’s signing of the seven-time world champion. In accordance with the Italian government, Lewis Hamilton is a driver of a sure age, nearing the tip of his profession, who would have been helpful to Maranello up to now. On the identical time, the previous Ferrari workforce principal praised Max Verstappen, whom he considers the strongest driver on the grid — somebody each workforce would like to have.