At the end of the calendar year, Ferrari Formula 1 team principal Mattia Binotto will resign from his position.
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After weeks of rumours regarding his future, Ferrari announced on Tuesday that it had accepted Binotto’s decision to leave. The group stated that Binotto will remain on staff through December 31 and that they wanted to finalise a replacement for him early 2019. Binotto admitted that he was sorry he had to leave the team, but that he thought it was best for the Maranello squad. I have made the decision to end my collaboration with Ferrari with the regret that this brings, he said. “I am leaving a company that I love, where I have worked for 28 years, with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that I have done everything possible to meet the goals established.
“I depart from a solid and expanding team. I wish a strong team all the best in the future as they work together to achieve the highest goals. As difficult as it has been for me to make this decision, I believe it is appropriate to move forward now. I’d want to express my gratitude to everyone at Gestione Sportiva who has been a part of my arduous but ultimately rewarding path. The departure of Binotto comes at the conclusion of a season that saw Ferrari experience both highs and lows.
Although the team became Red Bull’s main rival, a string of reliability issues and miscalculations in strategy raised concerns about whether Ferrari required a management reshuffle. Before the season finale in Abu Dhabi, there were rumours regarding Binotto’s future, with Alfa Romeo team manager Fred Vasseur being mentioned as a potential replacement. However, the squad quickly put an end to this rumour. After finishing second in the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, however, and realising that he did not have the full backing of Ferrari Chairman John Elkann and CEO Benedetto Vigna, Binotto submitted his resignation, which was accepted.
Vigna expressed his gratitude for the contributions Binotto had made over the course of his many years at Ferrari. He remarked, “I would like to congratulate Mattia for his many wonderful accomplishments over his 28 years with Ferrari and especially for steering the team back to a position of competitiveness during this past year. “As a result, we are in a strong position to resume our challenge to win the greatest racing reward, especially for our incredible fans around the world. We at the Scuderia and the whole Ferrari community wish Mattia nothing but the best in the future.”
