Where were we
It took a couple of years, but Mattia Binotto is back. The former Ferrari team principal, ‘invited’ to resign after the much-talked-about 2022 season – which began with title ambitions and ended with pointing fingers, wasted opportunities and general discontent – is starting over with one of the most prestigious brands in the history of motorsport: AudiFor the time being, it will be up to him to manage the interregnum at Sauber, before the Hinwil team actually changes its name and becomes the factory team of the Rings from 2026.
Swap sides
Binotto, who essentially now has completed the ‘exchange’ of the wall with Fred Vasseurcomes in a situation that is far from simple. Sauber is currently last in the Constructors’ Championship, the only team still with zero points in the standings, and does not even have a fully defined line-up for 2025. The only certainty at the moment is linked to the arrival of Nico Hulkenberg from Haas, while the second seat is still up for grabs. Among the names on the table there is still that of Carlos Sainzwho in recent weeks seemed closer to other shores but whose arrival in Ferrari was strongly desired by Binotto himself. Who knows, maybe this duo can be reunited.
The precedent of 2019
The entry into Audi of the 54 year old engineer born in Lausanne also arises from a ‘political’ battle won: the one with Andreas Seidlformer McLaren team principal and – from now on – also former Sauber CEO who was essentially thrown out precisely to give the former Ferrari man a free hand. Even on an emotional level, the new adventure promises to be special for Binotto: having joined Maranello in 1995, he has never challenged the red team wearing the jersey of another team.
Seidl’s exit from the scene to his advantage is reminiscent, albeit with some differences, of what happened at Ferrari at the end of 2018. Even then Binotto, who occupied the role of technical director, appeared to be in conflict with the team principal at the time, Maurizio ArrivabeneThe clash at the top proved to be in Binotto’s favor, as he was promoted to team principal following Arrivabene’s departure.
Ups and downs in red
In his four seasons as leader of the Ferrari pit wall Binotto has collected seven wins and two second places in the Constructors’ standingsbut he also experienced first-hand the quarrels on the alleged ‘drugged motorbike’ of 2019 and the subsequent ‘castration’ of 2020 following the secret agreement with the FIA, which saw Maranello fall to sixth place in the Constructors’ standings, Ferrari’s worst result since 1980.
Alternatives and courtships
In these two years of stop Binotto had also been linked to several other teams and had spoken in particular with both Aston Martin and Red Bull Powertrain. In the end, however, it was Audi’s proposal that convinced him, which essentially put him in charge of the most intriguing – but also riskiest – project of the next technical era of F1.
It also comes naturally to think that, given his very long tenure at Ferrari, Binotto could also look towards Maranello to engage any reinforcements which could certainly be very useful for a project that is still to be built like that of Ingolstadt. The new adventure has just begun.
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