CONFIRMED: Mattia Binotto resigns! Ferrari lose team principal

F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi
Mattia Binotto has resigned as Ferrari team principal.

Mattia Binotto will no longer be a part of Ferrari as the team principal announced his resignation in a press release.

Reports of Binotto losing his job have been doing the rounds in the last few weeks. According to reports from multiple publications, the decision was almost inevitable after a season where the team, despite having a very good car, was unable to achieve results that matched its potential.

Binotto had been a part of the Prancing Horse for more than two decades and was crucial to the team during the largely successful early 2000s with Michael Schumacher. He had been promoted to the team principal's role since the 2019 season. In a Ferrari press release, Binotto said:

“With the regret that this entails, I have decided to conclude my collaboration with Ferrari. I am leaving a company that I love, which I have been part of for 28 years, with the serenity that comes from the conviction that I have made every effort to achieve the objectives set. I leave a united and growing team.”

It continued:

“A strong team, ready, I’m sure, to achieve the highest goals, to which I wish all the best for the future. I think it is right to take this step at this time as hard as this decision has been for me. I would like to thank all the people at the Gestione Sportiva who have shared this journey with me, made up of difficulties but also of great satisfaction.”

Ferrari wish Mattia Binotto good luck in his future endeavors

Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna, the man who would in all likelihood take over from Binotto, was the only other team representative whose quotes were available (John Elkann being the notable exception).

He said that the team thanked its outgoing team principal for his contributions spanning nearly three decades. Vigna said:

“I would like to thank Mattia for his many great contributions over 28 years with Ferrari and particularly for leading the team back to a position of competitiveness during this past year.”

He continued:

“As a result, we are in a strong position to renew our challenge, above all for our amazing fans around the world, to win the ultimate prize in motorsport. Everyone here at the Scuderia and in the wider Ferrari community wishes Mattia well for the future.”

Binotto took over the reins of the team in 2019 from Maurizio Arrivabene. He has seen the Scuderia go through a transition phase of dropping into midfield in 2020, making significant progress in 2021, and getting back to winning in 2022.

One thing that went against him was the team's struggles when it came to race execution, something that was a massive deficiency compared to their competitors Red Bull and Mercedes.

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Edited by Bhargav