After Ferrari F1 exit, where could Mattia Binotto end up next?
On Tuesday, Ferrari announced that team principal Mattia Binotto had resigned from the F1 team, calling time on a 28-year career with the Italian giant.
Binotto has been an integral part of Ferrari since initially joining their engine department in 1995.
In 2013, Binotto was appointed head of Ferrari’s engine department before replacing James Allison as chief technical officer mid-way through 2016.
After two successful years as chief technical officer, Binotto was promoted to team principal for 2019 in place of Maurizio Arrivabene.
Binotto’s range of skills and experience should mean his phone will be busy during his spell of gardening leave.
Alfa Romeo / Audi
With current team boss Frederic Vasseur rumoured to be the favourite to replace Binotto for F1 2023, Alfa Romeo will likely need a new team boss.
Audi will take over the team from 2026, with the German manufacturer building and designing their own new power unit for the new rules.
Audi will want their own man in charge of the team, which is why Vasseur’s departure felt inevitable.
Binotto would be an astute signing given his wealth of experience in Ferrari’s engine department, combined with his recent experience of managing the team as a whole.
The project could also appeal to Binotto because the team will continue to be based in Switzerland, the country of his birth.
Mercedes
Mercedes will want to bolster their engine department after losing a number of key names to Red Bull.
With Binotto’s gardening leave reportedly only approximately six months, he would have insight into what a key competitor like Ferrari is doing.
While there are bound to be concerns about the way Binotto managed Ferrari from a leadership point of view, as an engineer, his track record speaks for itself.
However, as highlighted by RacingNews365, Mercedes might be looking for a new team boss, should Toto Wolff decide to “transition to a new executive function within the organisation”.
Red Bull
Red Bull will also want to add an engineer of Binotto’s quality and experience to their new engine project.
Red Bull Powertrains has been on a recruitment drive since deciding to part ways with Honda in 2021.
They’ve already signed Ben Hodgkinson, former head of Mercedes High Performance Powertrains, to lead its engine division.
With the Porsche deal not materialising, Red Bull might need someone like Binotto.
Senior F1 role
Finally, with Ross Brawn calling time on his career, F1 will need some trusted expertise to join their team.
Brawn played a big part in influencing the new 2022 regulations alongside former Renault and Williams engineer Pat Symonds.
With Brawn and Symonds leaving their respective roles, there could be a vacancy for Binotto.
Binotto has also worked with current F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali at Ferrari.
