Generally they arrive again. In latest days, former Ferrari staff boss Mattia Binotto additionally talked in regards to the Maranello staff and Lewis Hamilton. He shares his opinion on the present F1 period underneath Maranello’s path — and he does so bluntly. There are personalities on the earth of sport which can be extremely divisive. Mattia Binotto is undoubtedly considered one of them, a minimum of 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, probably the most profitable durations weren’t sufficient to carry world titles again to the Italian aspect They had been too quick to gas 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 staff principal and technical director of the Maranello-based staff, displaying little inclination to delegate a lot, if something.
Regardless of counting on the unconditional help of his internal circle, the Lausanne-born supervisor at all times made choices with out listening an excessive amount of to others. These choices weren’t taken calmly, 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 tough scenario, however it doesn’t appear to have began off badly.
We’re speaking about Audi’s entry into F1. Unquestionably, 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 because of the brand new regulatory framework — a state of affairs that ought to eradicate the technological benefit held by present groups within the paddock.
Sauber’s remaining season in F1, earlier than altering its title, has up to now exceeded expectations. It is a staff that final 12 months scored solely 4 factors, because of 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 adjustments worthy of the highest tier of motorsport. A considerably harsh comparability, however one that completely captures the concept. It’s arduous 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 begin the brand new period of turbo-hybrid F1 on the precise foot.
Those that depart the Maranello staff 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 may 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 staff.
It’s unclear whether or not this silence is because of agreements with Ferrari or just because the parting wasn’t precisely peaceable. However in contrast to his illustrious predecessors, Mattia Binotto has by no means held again in giving his opinion on issues involving the Prancing Horse. In latest 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 remaining 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 vehicles had points with the restart after the Security Automobile — however a Sauber overtaking a Ferrari underneath regular circumstances is pure science fiction.
In latest days, Mattia Binotto doubled down on his view concerning Ferrari’s signing of the seven-time world champion. In line with the Italian govt, Lewis Hamilton is a driver of a sure age, nearing the top of his profession, who would have been helpful to Maranello up to now. On the identical time, the previous Ferrari staff principal praised Max Verstappen, whom he considers the strongest driver on the grid — somebody each staff would like to have.