Former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has looked back on his departure from the Scuderia at the end of the 2022 Formula 1 season, admitting he believes he still had more to offer the Maranello team.
Binotto and Ferrari
Mattia Binotto joined Ferrari in 1995 as an engine engineer within the team’s test department. Over the years, he steadily climbed the ranks until being appointed team principal in 2019, succeeding Maurizio Arrivabene.
His tenure at the helm of Ferrari’s Formula 1 operation lasted four seasons, a period marked by both highs and lows. Ultimately, John Elkann decided to relieve him of his duties at the end of the 2022 campaign, appointing current team principal Frederic Vasseur as his successor.
Ferrari’s results under Binotto
| Season | Championship finish | Wins | Podiums | Pole positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2nd | 3 | 19 | 9 |
| 2020 | 6th | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2021 | 3rd | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| 2022 | 2nd | 4 | 20 | 12 |
The biggest regret
Mattia Binotto was unable to bring the Formula 1 world championship back to Maranello, and it is no surprise that the role of team principal remains one of the most demanding and vulnerable positions within any F1 team.
The 2022 season began with enormous optimism after Ferrari won two of the opening three races under Formula 1’s new technical regulations. However, the Scuderia was unable to keep pace with Red Bull, whose continuous stream of upgrades helped secure both world titles with three races still remaining.
As a result, Mattia Binotto stepped down at the conclusion of the season. Speaking recently in an interview with La Stampa, the current Audi team principal reflected on that chapter of his career.
“My biggest disappointment? That we ended up going our separate ways at a certain point. I think I still had something to give. There were so many wonderful moments: my first days at the company, Jean Alesi’s first victory in Canada in 1995, the Schumacher era. But I prefer to look ahead.”
Mattia Binotto’s reflections on his departure therefore highlight the unforgiving nature of leadership at Scuderia Ferrari, where coming close to championship glory is rarely deemed enough. While his time in Maranello ended with a sense of unfinished business, the technical expertise he accumulated from the Schumacher era through to his time as team principal has laid a solid foundation for his next chapter. Moving forward, applying these hard-earned lessons will be crucial as he takes on the monumental task of guiding Audi in Formula 1.
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