ITALY: Ferrari released a statement on Tuesday saying that the rumours of the replacement of Mattia Binotto by Alfa Romeo’s Fred Vasseur are “totally without foundation.”
According to Italian media sources, Mattia Binotto will pay the price for a disastrous 2022 season in which Red Bull won both the World Championships despite Ferrari having a fast car. After three rounds, Ferrari had a big lead over Red Bull in both championships.
Ferrari is currently P2 in the constructors’ championship, just 19 points ahead of third-placed Mercedes, which had to endure its most challenging Formula 1 season in the turbo-hybrid era. Mercedes started the 2022 season, being almost second behind the pace of Ferrari.
The team from Brackley & Brixworth has made steady inroads in terms of car development throughout the season. Given the team’s recent form, Ferrari risks losing P2 to Mercedes. If either of the Ferrari cars suffers a failure in the last race of the season, Ferrari will lose P2.
According to the reports, Fred Vasseur will replace Mattia Binotto in January and is regarded highly by the Stellantis group.
On the other hand, Ferrari responded with a statement that made it clear that the team management had not planned such moves.
In response to the speculations, Ferrari released a statement saying that the rumours regarding Scuderia Ferrari’s team principal, Mattia Binotto, are without foundation.
Ferrari’s downfall this season has mainly been attributed to strategic blunders and uncompetitive operational mistakes made during races. As a result, pressure has unavoidably piled up on Mattia Binotto.
According to the report, the 54-year-old Vasseur was the first candidate the Scuderia considered last summer due to his extensive racing experience. He managed multiple teams in junior formula categories before moving up to Formula 1. Fred Vasseur has a different skill set than Mattia Binotto, who has more technical knowledge.
Ferrari is the engine supplier for Vasseur’s Alfa Romeo team. This year’s Constructors’ Championship will see Alfa Romeo finish sixth, a significant improvement from the team’s previous campaigns.
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