There’s talk of Mattia Binotto joining Aston Martin. This discussion divides fans and Formula 1 insiders alike regarding his tenure as team principal at the Prancing Horse. Some still believe his resignation from Ferrari was premature, while others don’t miss him at all, remembering a tenure that yielded just five wins in four years and left behind the failed technical project 676. After over thirty years at Maranello, the Italian manager took a sabbatical before accepting a new professional challenge in Texas.
Mattia Binotto was hired to coordinate the strategic plan for technological, industrial, and commercial development of the e-Powertrain division dedicated to electric and hybrid propulsion. His collaboration with the Monastier-based company seemed to put an end to speculations suggesting the former Ferrari executive was about to take on a top position at the Alpine team. This feeling was fueled by the presence of the former engineer from the Red at several Grand Prix races last season.
In F1 circles, there’s increasing talk of Mattia Binotto returning to the series, specifically to Aston Martin. Mattia was spotted in the hospitality of Lawrence Stroll’s team at the recent Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The subject of the discussions is not known, but the underwhelming performance of the “green machine” is fueling speculation that he may soon replace Mike Krack. In fact, the former team principal of the historic Italian team has extensively spoken with Laurent Mekies and Pierre Waché within the Red Bull facilities.
Aston Martin, could Binotto manage the power unit department by 2026?
It’s undeniable that Aston Martin is the team with the most pronounced performance downgrade compared to last season. Only outstanding performances by Fernando Alonso have masked a decline that began in the second half of the last campaign. The suggestion of Mattia Binotto, if it can be called that, what benefit could it bring to the Silverstone team? First and foremost, he is a professional figure with extensive experience in F1. His specific skills lie in the realm of power units, beyond the role of team principal.
He could be a valuable addition to Aston Martin overseeing the second regulatory revolution scheduled for the 2026 season. The British team will abandon Mercedes power units, as we know, to begin a partnership with Honda just as the second-generation turbo-hybrid engines debut. Alongside the power unit, F1 cars will also change significantly aerodynamically to ensure performance similar to current single-seaters, although the dimensions will differ in various areas of the car.
However, there’s an important precedent. Amidst the regulatory revolution of 2022, Ferrari managed to achieve the best performance step that initially seemed poised to dominate the season, with two wins in the first three races. Reliability issues with power unit 066/10 and the freezing of development on the F1-75 before the summer break dashed the dreams of glory for the historic Italian team. Another merit of Mattia Binotto’s management was providing the necessary reliability to the red car’s power unit without losing performance.
Even in the last championship, the team’s power unit reached excellent levels. Perhaps this is what Aston Martin is considering, thinking of benefiting technically. With the looming overhaul of the regulatory framework, a figure like Mattia allocated to the 2026 project rather than the frenetic on-track operations could be a very valuable resource. Considering that future projects can be studied by teams starting from January 2025, there may be technical opportunities to familiarize oneself with the English team and perhaps bring some trusted collaborators from Ferrari.
Source: FUnoanalisitecnica
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