Ferrari appear to have made a decision on who will lead the team in 2023 and hopefully beyond that, with a growing number of reports stating that Alfa Romeo’s Frederic Vasseur will be the next Ferrari team principal.
The team principal job at Maranello appears to be a poison chalice for whoever takes it, with Binotto having felt like his only option was to resign from the company that he loves.
Whilst Binotto has been team principal at Ferrari for the last four seasons, his time with Ferrari goes well beyond that, with the Italian having joined the team in 1995.
Binotto originally joined as an intern, before working his way through the ranks, cementing his place in F1 as one of the best technical directors around.
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His promotion to team principal was immediately questioned four years ago, with many wondering if he had what it took to lead a team as big as Ferrari.
He remarkably survived the sack at the end of 2019 and 2020, two years which saw a plethora of issues for the Scuderia.
To give Binotto credit, though, he has turned Ferrari around and put them on the correct track once again, leaving many to believe that Binotto is the person to get Ferrari back to the very top.
Alas, Binotto isn’t going to be that person, with the Italian not being trusted by Ferrari president John Elkann, who is rarely seen in the paddock.
Binotto was an honourable man whilst in charge, forever absorbing the blame for the mistakes of others, with the Italian remaining adamant all season that his strategic personnel didn’t need to be altered.
With the season over, though, it appears that Binotto feels its himself who needs to be changed, marking the end of a 28-year relationship.
Vasseur is expected to be announced as his replacement before Christmas, with the Frenchman to lead the side from the New Year.
“The choice is made,” Sport1 reported.
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Vasseur’s first job will be to unite the team and most importantly, gain the trust of Elkann.
Some have predicted that Charles Leclerc will be a big fan of Vasseur moving to Ferrari, given that he gave Leclerc his debut in 2018.
Others, however, have suggested that the Monegasque’s camp are unhappy at Vasseur switching to Ferrari, meaning that division might still remain within the Scuderia once the announcement has been made.