'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Mattia Binotto submitted his resignation from the role of Ferrari's team principal and ended a 28-year-long association. The Italian engineer had been a loyal contributor to the team and had made his way through the levels to reach the top.
Binotto's stay at the top of the team was not as fruitful or successful as many of his predecessors. The 2022 F1 season was the season where the team was finally able to perform at the level a Ferrari should.
Having said that, with Binotto out of the picture now, there are some serious question marks over the immediate future of the team. The 2022 F1 season was the first year since 2019 when Ferrari drivers had a car capable of challenging at the front. With the new administration taking over, what impact will that have on the team next season? Binotto leaving the team at this juncture is certainly not ideal and it is going to have an impact.
Let's take a look at what could be the possible impact of Mattia Binotto leaving Ferrari at the end of the 2022 F1 season.
#1 Ferrari's competitiveness next season faces a setback
There have been other scenarios on the grid where a change in personnel at the top has not proved to be a deterrent for the team. A major example of a new team principal picking up from where the predecessor left off was Otmar Szafnaeur this season.
Szafnauer moved from Aston Martin to Alpine at the start of the season. Instead of the team suffering a setback with the onset of a new administration, it showed growth and improvement to finish P4 in the championship.
While this could certainly happen with the Italian squad as well, there are caveats attached to it. The stakes are much higher at Ferrari as the team will be aiming to contest for the title. The margin of error will be much smaller for anyone as any small mistake will get magnified and the opportunity to fight back is non-existent in these cases.
The Italian squad was in title contention at the start of the 2022 F1 season and will be aiming to repeat it if not better. It's safe to say that with the new administration in place, it will be a bit ambitious to expect the same performance from the team next year. There might be a few moving parts in the background that are not ideal when it comes to the team's progress.
#2 Back to square one for the drivers
The new development might be a bit disheartening for both the drivers in the team. Both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc would have been excited by what 2023 offered. The two drivers ran in the midfield in 2021. Both were able to fight for podiums and wins in 2022 and the two would have been hoping for further improvement in 2023 as well.
With a change in administration, this just pushes the reset button once again. Charles Leclerc is already frustrated with the team not aiming for the title this season. With a new leader at the top, a title challenge might not be a priority as any new administration takes time to gel with the members and drivers as well. Can Ferrari still put up a fight for the title? It can, but there will certainly be a reset of the mindset before the relationships take shape.
#3 A change in targets?
If there is one thing that has been notoriously common with Ferrari since 2008, then it is the team's penchant for self-immolation. Stefano Domenicali was replaced by Marco Mattiaci, who was then replaced by Maurizio Arrivabene. The last name in this chain is Mattia Binotto. The Italian engineer's reign with Ferrari holds far too many similarities with his predecessors.
The 2019 F1 season was a season of consolidation for Ferrari and the same continued until 2022. For Arrivabene, the 2015 F1 season was a season of consolidation and not meant to attack for the title. The attack finally came in 2017 and 2018 (where Ferrari failed miserably).
With a new administration setting foot next season, there is a likelihood that the Italian squad will once again take the year off to try to consolidate its position on the grid. If that is the case, we could see the team being the third wheel in the title battle involving Mercedes and Red Bull. Although this is not the most desirable of outcomes, there is certainly a possibility that we could see this happening next season.
