Mattia Binotto wanted Sebastian Vettel to stay, but John Elkann opposed contract extension

Mattia Binotto wanted Sebastian Vettel to stay, but John Elkann opposed contract extension. Mattia Binotto wanted Sebastian Vettel to stay.

Sometimes you want to rewind the tape. Sometimes you’d better not. Ferrari dismissed Sebastian Vettel before the season kicked off. Mediatically speaking too early because it generated a long goodbye. The willingness to “continue talking about it” to find “solutions” after some misunderstanding was no longer there.

According to funoanalisitecnica.com, Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto – absent at the very last appointment due to an indisposition (not Covid-19, the first tests were negative) – was the author of the final phone call whose “tone of voice” left no room for second thoughts. But at the time, the team principal (March seems almost a lifetime ago) would have wanted to try to bring home an extension for Seb until 2022, without rushing, by August 2020. He did not succeed due to the immovability of John Elkann, who clearly changed his mind after some unhappy talks with the four-time world champion. Legitimate, mind you, but a pity in many ways. Sebastian Vettel, except for the very first years, has never had a real magic circle in Ferrari and this year it has turned into a circle of fire. But it is also fair to give credit to the German for having pursued until the end respectful behaviors with the team.

It’s no longer time to remember mistakes or to organize a race to see who made the most mistakes between him, the team, management, ownership or whoever. Certainly instead, remember the enthusiasm when he arrived in Ferrari, fresh air for them and also for the whole F1 after a year without history, sportingly speaking.

We remember very well the 2015 tests experienced in Barcelona. In Catalonia, beyond a Mercedes that was hopefully reachable, there was a good but not very good Williams and a Red Bull – Renault in great embarrassment. Then there was the SF15T of James Allison and Simone Resta. I’m willing to bet that while it wasn’t the best Ferrari he has ever driven, it was definitely the most beloved car. The one of high hopes, of the “cleanest” emotions, of unexpected victories.