Trouble in paradise at Ferrari as Binotto and Leclerc reportedly fall out

According to several Italian sources, all is not well in the House of Maranello, with mounting tensions between Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto and driver Charles Leclerc. Witnesses at the Italian Grand Prix recalled Binotto and Leclerc arguing heatedly in the team garage earlier this month. The incident might have affected Leclerc’s performance at the Reds’ most important Grand Prix. It is hard to pin the blame of Ferrari’s misfortunes on one issue because while the drivers are first in line to take the fire if something goes wrong but there have been reports this season that suggests there are bigger problems in the background.

Despite this, Leclerc usually gives it his all, now pushed by teammate Carlos Sainz, who, inadvertently or not, adds to the friction between his teammate and his boss. Furthermore, although this was the first ‘public’ fallout between the two, it had been brewing for a few months, brewing since the start of the season when Leclerc realised he was in for another season of pain with the car they built for him.

FERRARI FAR BEHIND MERCEDES, RED BULL

Ferrari is once again no match for Red Bull and Mercedes, and they will be lucky to beat a resurgent McLaren team in this year’s F1 constructors’ title race, resulting in a possible fourth-place finish for the sport’s most successful team. Of course, this is unacceptable because F1 requires a strong Scuderia, and the current team Binotto has yet to deliver. It is also a demand in Italy.

Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that, throughout the season, Binotto has consistently heaped praise on developments to the car and power unit, but the results have yet to be seen on track. This is where Leclerc has taken issue. While the boss brags about performance improvements, the drivers have to drive the car, a reportedly sluggish car that necessitates risks and hard driving, which invariably leads to mistakes but also raises many questions.

The harsh reality is that, in comparison to the Mercedes W12 and Red Bull RB16B, the team has a subpar package in the Ferrari SF21, a concept that no one has figured out how to make it go faster after two years of trying. However, Binotto and his engineers refuse to accept or acknowledge that the car causes over-driving, mistakes, and shunts in both of their drivers, both of whom are considered among the best of the new generation.

Of course, all of this has had a negative impact on the team dynamic, which was all about Leclerc prior to this season. The Little Prince, the answer to the team’s prayers when he was regularly walloping Sebastian Vettel and winning with a decent car to drive.

Until now, Leclerc has played the team game, taking it on the chin when the car couldn’t compete with their rivals (most weekends) and doing what few can do without complaining. However, those days are clearly coming to an end as the 23-year-old adjusts to the ever-changing affections of an extremely volatile team led by Binotto.