Not Ferrari Resignation, Mattia Binotto Reveals His “Most Challenging Task” During His F1 Rollercoaster

Mattia Binotto has worked for the Italian team for 28 years and has worked with a variety of drivers over the course of his career. However, after becoming the team principal in 2019, the Italian engineer has been under intense scrutiny. In the midst of all that, Binotto had gone through a number of difficult periods with the Scuderia, and recently he confessed that rather than resigning from his post, his most difficult assignment was having one conversation with the four-time champion.

For many Formula One racers, Ferrari is the enduring dream squad. Everyone aspires to be a Scuderia driver, but it comes with tremendous pressure to perform. The Prancing Horse once included the four-time champion Sebastian Vettel in their squad back in 2015, but throughout the course of those six years, Vettel failed to repeat what he used to do at Red Bull.

Back in 2020, before the Testing, Sebastian Vettel was notified that his contract with the Maranello-based team wouldn’t be renewed. Regarding Vettel’s departure, Binotto admitted that the conversation with him about the team’s desire to part ways was the most difficult task of his office tenure.

Binotto said, ” They were incredible years. Difficult for myself, coming to the end, to announce to him that we would not renew [his contract]. That maybe has been the most difficult task I’ve done myself through my career because when you love such a person and you really enjoy working with him, it’s always difficult to come to the end and take a decision to announce it. It was an important moment as well for my career because from that, through difficulties, you become stronger. But it’s the one we will remember as the most difficult one.”

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Since becoming the squad’s principal, Mattia Binotto has made a consistent effort to mould the team into a championship-winning group. But Mattia Binotto had found it extremely challenging to lead Scuderia due to a number of issues. He has therefore consistently come under fire for the team’s failure.

Mattia Binotto responded to continuous criticism

After a season of squandered opportunities, Matti Binotto made the decision to leave the team. This year represented the best team results since Binotto took over as team boss, as Ferrari finished in second place in both the drivers and constructor championships. However, based on how the team started the season, predictions were made that the Maranello-based team would undoubtedly win this year’s championship.

But the team, which was having a myriad of issues, was not only outpaced by Max Verstappen and Red Bull after the first few races but the team’s subpar performance was also blamed on Mattia Binotto. Responding to all the difficult criticism, the Italian Engineer said just a little more than a week before he stepped down, “It has certainly been a difficult one because criticism [has] never obviously been accepted or, let me say, [has] to be managed more than accepted.”

“And more than that, I think [it’s] for me to try to keep the team focused and concentrated on the job. So, the criticisms are there to distract a team, and [how to] keep a team focused is never obvious. So it has been difficult, but I think that will make me only stronger in the future,” he added.

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Mattia Binotto will formally retire as the team’s principal in the coming days. Do you think Fredrick Vasseur, Ferrari’s newest hire, will be able to step into the great Italian’s shoes considering how strong the Italian has remained throughout the journey?