Binotto “talking to” future F1 team | “water and oil” with Ferrari boss

Binotto’s resignation was accepted by Ferrari, after the team lost faith in him, so they will appoint a new team principal for next season.

“He is talking to Audi, who will enter F1 in 2026,” Italian media Calciomercato reported. “And we don't know who will take his place in Maranello."

Alfa Romeo’s Frederic Vasseur is the favourite for the vacant job but the report says: "He is French like the legendary Jean Todt but the only thing they have in common is a passport. And here, I stop."

Binotto’s lack of “ruthlessness” was a key reason for the breakdown in trust with Ferrari chairman John Elkann, Sky reported.

"Binotto was a legacy of [ex-CEO] Sergio Marchionne,” the Calciomercato report says. 

“The late Sergio did not dote on [ex-team principal] Maurizio Arrivabene. 

“But John Elkann never got on Binotto. They were like water and oil. And everyone knew it."

• “Ruthless enough?” The key personality trait which cost Binotto

Binotto’s four-year reign as team principal is now over, and the report says: "The man has his faults, including a slight tendency for the delusion of omnipotence. For example, Mattia should have appeared less and managed the media better. 

“But he never had the support of its president on the big issues. 

“Have you ever heard a word from Elkann about the Red Bull budget cap or the adjusted rules that were pro-Mercedes? Zero.

“There was a lack of real support. The owner did not believe in his top manager.”

Ferrari secured second-place in the constructors’ championship, while Charles Leclerc finished second in the F1 standings, in 2022.