Sometimes they come back. In recent days, former Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto also talked about the Maranello team and Lewis Hamilton. He shares his opinion on the current F1 era under Maranello’s direction — and he does so bluntly. There are personalities in the world of sport that are incredibly divisive. Mattia Binotto is undoubtedly one of them, at least in our part of the world. His long tenure at the helm of the Prancing Horse was marked by clear highs and lows.
Unfortunately, the most successful periods were not enough to bring world titles back to the Italian side They were too short to fuel genuine hopes of success. One of the defining traits of his management was the desire to centralize “his powers.” For five seasons, he was both team principal and technical director of the Maranello-based team, showing little inclination to delegate much, if anything.
Despite relying on the unconditional support of his inner circle, the Lausanne-born manager always made decisions without listening too much to others. These decisions were not taken lightly, but still made with great confidence. After over thirty years at Ferrari, Mattia Binotto now faces the greatest challenge of his career. It’s a difficult situation, but it doesn’t seem to have started off badly.
We are talking about Audi’s entry into F1. Without a doubt, the German brand has no experience in the top class of motorsport, although it has written chapters of history in other, equally demanding contexts. Audi’s debut is made possible thanks to the new regulatory framework — a scenario that should eliminate the technological advantage held by current teams in the paddock.
Sauber’s final season in F1, before changing its name, has so far exceeded expectations. This is a team that last year scored only four points, thanks to Zhou Guanyu’s eighth place in Bahrain. In 2025, after nine races, the points tally has quadrupled. This is no coincidence, even if this is a transitional championship. Track operations have also clearly improved.
In past seasons, their pit stops were more like highway rest area breaks than tyre changes worthy of the top tier of motorsport. A somewhat harsh comparison, but one that perfectly captures the idea. It’s hard to quantify how much of this turnaround is down to the former Ferrari figure, and perhaps it doesn’t even matter that much. The real goal is to start the new era of turbo-hybrid F1 on the right foot.
Those who leave the Maranello team often experience a sudden change of perspective. Professionals who had shown their full value with rivals and then managed to hit the mark in other settings. For example, we could mention Aldo Costa, James Allison, Andrea Stella, and many others. Notice how anyone who leaves the Prancing Horse systematically tries to avoid speaking about the historic Italian-based team.
It’s unclear whether this silence is due to agreements with Ferrari or simply because the parting wasn’t exactly peaceful. But unlike his illustrious predecessors, Mattia Binotto has never held back in giving his opinion on matters involving the Prancing Horse. In recent months, he plainly admitted that he would never have signed Lewis Hamilton.
Who didn’t think back to these words when, in the final laps of the Spanish Grand Prix, Nico Hülkenberg’s Sauber easily overtook the SF-25 of the seven-time world champion? In Maranello, they were quick to point out that both Ferrari cars had issues with the restart after the Safety Car — but a Sauber overtaking a Ferrari under normal conditions is pure science fiction.
In recent days, Mattia Binotto doubled down on his view regarding Ferrari’s signing of the seven-time world champion. According to the Italian executive, Lewis Hamilton is a driver of a certain age, nearing the end of his career, who would have been useful to Maranello in the past. At the same time, the former Ferrari team principal praised Max Verstappen, whom he considers the strongest driver on the grid — someone every team would love to have.
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