Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, and Ferrari’s struggles in F1: Mattia Binotto speaks about his former team, just over two years after his departure from Maranello. Now the COO and CTO of Audi, currently overseeing the transition of the Four Rings—who will be on the grid in 2026—he refrains from giving definitive judgments. However, the warning is clear: the seven-time world champion might not be enough for the Prancing Horse.
In Bahrain, in search of the lost harmony. Ferrari had another challenging weekend from which important answers were expected. On paper, the Sakhir did not particularly suit the SF-25. The heat was also troublesome for the entire grid: the Maranello team took precautions, introducing an engine cover with no fewer than five vents with an updated geometry.
The mystery surrounding the new floor gave Frédéric Vasseur’s team a lot to work on. The new specification, which was tested during the first free parctice sessions by Lewis Hamilton, was then compared with the old one, entrusted to Dino Beganovic. Engineers are promising a significant increase in aerodynamic load, but it remains to be seen how the car will handle it for the upcoming rounds of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, and measuring the “impact”: Mattia Binotto comments on Ferrari
After spending a few years away from microphones and journalists’ notebooks, Mattia Binotto—who worked at Maranello from 1995 to 2022—speaks to Italian journalist Daniele Sparisci in an interview for Corriere della Sera. In the long interview, covering topics including Audi’s upcoming debut and the careers of former Ferrari members, he also shares thoughts on the current driver pairing of the Prancing Horse.
As rumors of a “technical split” between the two garages continue to circulate, the Italian engineer and executive from the Four Rings team remains cautious: “[Lewis Hamilton] has brought tremendous enthusiasm, passion, and a great deal of experience. But that may not be enough. We don’t know how fast Lewis still is, and this experience will help us understand that—when a driver is strong, he adapts quickly.” – the former Ferrari team principal explained.
“In these early races, it will become clear what the balance of power with Charles will be and what the impact on Charles will be. These are all question marks I won’t get into.” – Mattia Binotto concluded.
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