Ferrari Outcast Mattia Binotto’s Return Speculations “Not Surprising” for F1 Legend Due to 1 Reason

Mattia Binotto arguably was the starting end of the famous merry-go-round of the team bosses last year. With the Formula 1 season 2022 coming to an end in November of last year, the Italian engineer’s tenure saw a sudden full stop. However, with a spot available at the French squad, it appears that a comeback for Ferrari outcast Mattia Binotto is unlikely to come as a huge surprise since he has one good reason to fill the seat without difficulty.

Ferrari and Mattia Binotto was a longtime association. However, when after several attempts to revive the Scuderia’s Glory crashed and burned, the team owner ousted the Italian engineer and brought in Frederic Vasseur. Although now that Otmar Szafnauer has been fired and Bruno Famin has only temporarily taken over as team principal at Alpine, everyone in F1 is once again looking to Mattia Binotto to safeguard the Enstone team.

While taking a closer look at his background in Formula 1 as well as his previous roles as head of Ferrari’s engine department and chief technical officer, Binotto might be an excellent choice for the team boss position at Alpine. At least this is what a commentator for Sky Sports and a Formula 1 legend feels. Also considering that Alpine’s impatience had cut short Otmar Szafnauer‘s journey before he even reached the targeted milestone of 100 races, it appears that Mattia Binotto, besides having a wealth of experience,  might also be able to withstand intense pressure, given that he previously worked for the team as a team boss and has elevated it to new heights with perhaps the largest fan base.

In his own words, Martin Brundle came up with one explanation for why Binotto’s employment rumors weren’t surprising to him. Brundle said in a conversation with Sky Sports F1, “It can’t be ruled out. Binotto has a lot of experience at Ferrari. He knows how to run an F1 team. Obviously, it didn’t work out at Ferrari, else he’d still be there. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it were announced. “

However, if the rumors are even a little bit true, then having Mattia Binotto on the team would be nothing short of a blessing for Alpine at least after losing Otmar Sazfanauer in the middle of the season. Nevertheless, now that the Frenchman has left, a former Alpine Engineer has come to light to explain what might actually go wrong for the Enstone outfit.

READ MORE: “Wish the Best to Otmar”: Alpine’s Betrayal of Trust of Szafnauer Doesn’t Stop Pierre Gasly to Wish Heartwarming Goodbye

Former Alpine engineer outlines what actually went wrong for Alpine amid Mattia Binotto’s hiring speculation

Szafnauer was fired after only 18 months on the job because of Alpine’s recent development strategy, which called for Alpine to compete at the top with a five-year plan and a 100-race plan failed. While the team’s season continued to be unpredictable, its CEO, Luca de Meo, abruptly fired Laurent Rossi and replaced him with Phillippe Krief as the CEO of the Alpine brand.

A week later, the team mutually decided to part ways with Otmar Szafnauer and longtime sporting manager Alan Peremane. Rossi’s 100 race plan, according to a former Alpine team boss who was replaced by Rossi at the start of 2021, was flawed.

As per motorsports.com, Cyril Abiteboul said, “ The plan to quantify 100 grands prix…why not 120, why not 80? I don’t understand it. When you start putting forward a plan like that, you’re sure to get it wrong because you don’t know what others are doing in Formula 1. Aston Martin’s colossal investments, Red Bull’s incredible momentum, none of that is going to stop just because Laurent Rossi’s 99th grand prix came along.”

Along with that, he noted that the team’s constant changes are what really caused them to struggle. He continued, “We underestimate this all the time in F1, as in other highly competitive sectors, it takes time to get someone from the competition. When you lose 15 people and you hire, it takes two or three years before it takes effect.”

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Do you believe Alpine would be intrigued by betting on Mattia Binotto?