Generally they arrive again. In latest days, former Ferrari group boss Mattia Binotto additionally talked in regards to the Maranello group and Lewis Hamilton. He shares his opinion on the present F1 period below Maranello’s route — and he does so bluntly. There are personalities on the earth of sport which might be extremely divisive. Mattia Binotto is undoubtedly one in every of them, at the least in our a part of the world. His lengthy tenure on the helm of the Prancing Horse was marked by clear highs and lows.
Sadly, probably the most profitable durations weren’t sufficient to deliver world titles again to the Italian aspect They had been too quick to gasoline real hopes of success. One of many defining traits of his administration was the need to centralize “his powers.” For 5 seasons, he was each group principal and technical director of the Maranello-based group, exhibiting little inclination to delegate a lot, if something.
Regardless of counting on the unconditional assist of his inside circle, the Lausanne-born supervisor all the time made selections with out listening an excessive amount of to others. These selections weren’t taken calmly, however nonetheless made with nice confidence. After over thirty years at Ferrari, Mattia Binotto now faces the best problem of his profession. It’s a tough state of affairs, however it doesn’t appear to have began off badly.
We’re speaking about Audi’s entry into F1. Undoubtedly, the German model has no expertise within the high class of motorsport, though it has written chapters of historical past in different, equally demanding contexts. Audi’s debut is made potential due to the brand new regulatory framework — a state of affairs that ought to remove the technological benefit held by present groups within the paddock.
Sauber’s remaining season in F1, earlier than altering its title, has to this point exceeded expectations. It is a group that final yr scored solely 4 factors, due to Zhou Guanyu’s eighth place in Bahrain. In 2025, after 9 races, the factors tally has quadrupled. That is no coincidence, even when this can be a transitional championship. Monitor operations have additionally clearly improved.
In previous seasons, their pit stops had been extra like freeway relaxation space breaks than tyre modifications worthy of the highest tier of motorsport. A considerably harsh comparability, however one that completely captures the thought. It’s exhausting to quantify how a lot of this turnaround is all the way down to the previous Ferrari determine, and maybe it doesn’t even matter that a lot. The actual purpose is to begin the brand new period of turbo-hybrid F1 on the proper foot.
Those that go away the Maranello group typically expertise a sudden change of perspective. Professionals who had proven their full worth with rivals after which managed to hit the mark in different settings. For instance, we may point out Aldo Costa, James Allison, Andrea Stella, and plenty of others. Discover how anybody who leaves the Prancing Horse systematically tries to keep away from talking in regards to the historic Italian-based group.
It’s unclear whether or not this silence is because of agreements with Ferrari or just because the parting wasn’t precisely peaceable. However not like his illustrious predecessors, Mattia Binotto has by no means held again in giving his opinion on issues involving the Prancing Horse. In latest months, he plainly admitted that he would by no means have signed Lewis Hamilton.
Who didn’t assume again to those phrases when, within the remaining laps of the Spanish Grand Prix, Nico Hülkenberg’s Sauber simply overtook the SF-25 of the seven-time world champion? In Maranello, they had been fast to level out that each Ferrari vehicles had points with the restart after the Security Automotive — however a Sauber overtaking a Ferrari below regular circumstances is pure science fiction.
In latest days, Mattia Binotto doubled down on his view relating to Ferrari’s signing of the seven-time world champion. In response to the Italian govt, Lewis Hamilton is a driver of a sure age, nearing the tip of his profession, who would have been helpful to Maranello up to now. On the similar time, the previous Ferrari group principal praised Max Verstappen, whom he considers the strongest driver on the grid — somebody each group would like to have.