It was said of a phone call between Lorenzo Sassi, Mercedes ex Ferrari engineer and Mattia Binotto to probe the possible availability of the engineer from Reggio to land in Brixworth, headquarters of Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains.
Only gossip that has not found any confirmation, especially as Totò Wolff, the team principal of the Star has ruled out any possibility that Mattia could land at Mercedes because “… there are too many shards of porcelain between us”.
Speaking on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, Wolff admitted it was “no secret” that he and Binotto had “hot moments” in recent years, but that things are looking up in 2022.
The two have had opportunities for confrontation in the four years they have faced each other as team principals and a peak was reached in 2019 with the disputes in 2019 on the legality of the Ferrari engine.
Binotto will end his 28th season at Ferrari at the end of the month, after his resignation as team principal was accepted by the top management of the Prancing Horse.
“He was in one of the best positions,” said Wolff. but he held out longer than I thought”.
Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO of Mercedes AMG
Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images
A versatile character like Mattia could be of interest to Mercedes, perhaps by reinforcing the engine area of High Performance Powertrains, but Wolff clearly ruled out this possibility…
“No, I think there are too many pieces between us, so it’s not possible – said Wolff -. With other teams, I can’t say. One fact is certain: Mattia knows Formula 1 inside out and maybe he will find a role in another team”.
The favorite to take over from Binotto is Frederic Vasseur, the Alfa Romeo team principal…
“It’s very difficult to judge who is the right person for that role. He must understand motor racing, perhaps more than just Formula 1,” Wolff said. I’m talking about a world that is a niche where everyone, the legislators, the governing body, the commercial rights holder, the competitors, all of us are locked up in this cage that is the paddock. You have to be very astute politically. It’s a very specialized world. The more you know about the sport, the better. But you can be a good manager in racing and not understand anything that happens commercially or out of the world.”
#Mercedes #Wolffs #veto #Binotto #pieces