Ousted Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto believes the team lacks the “winning mentality” it had during the Michael Schumacher days.
After mounting speculation, it was confirmed last week that Binotto had resigned as team principal and would leave the company he has been part of since 1995.
This comes after a tricky year in which Ferrari began with the fastest car on the grid but failed to mount a credible championship bid due to poor reliability and mistakes from those on the pit wall and in the cockpit.
The main reason for Binotto’s departure, however, appears to be a disconnect between him and Ferrari’s senior management, including chairman John Elkann.
There are also claims from Italian media of discontent between the Swiss chief and Charles Leclerc, who was not given No.1 status by Binotto despite clearly being the driver most likely to challenge Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Even so, speaking earlier this year, Binotto was asked what main thing Ferrari missed in its pursuit to end the wait for championship success, one that enters its 15th year in 2023.
“That winning mentality that was there in the Schumacher era and which pushed you to do better after every victory,” he told Motorsport Italia.
“To win, you have to keep progressing and improving and to do that we have to give 120% if not 130%.
“We come from very difficult seasons, from sixth place in the 2020 Constructors’ Championship. These were years that marked us because we suffered pressure and criticism, and in a way they shaped us.
“We promised we would be competitive again and we have kept that promise, but what I want to say is that between having a performing car and drivers and the ability to consolidate the ability to materialise every situation, there is still a step to go.”
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Binotto though won’t be around to try and take that next step, with Alfa Romeo’s Fred Vasseur the name most linked to be his successor.
It is also speculated that Ferrari contacted Red Bull boss Christian Horner as far back as after the 2021 season, but the Briton is uninterested.
“My commitment is very much with the Red Bull team. I’ve been there since the beginning and have a very close attachment,” he told Sky Sports, after admitting he wasn’t surprised by Binotto’s departure.
“It is obviously Ferrari’s choice,” he added. “I think it will be the sixth team principal I have sat opposite since I’ve been at Red Bull.
“Obviously difficult for him. They had a great car this year, they were very competitive.”
While set to start gardening leave on January 1, Binotto is already being linked to several teams including the new Audi project that enters F1 in 2026.
