Scuderia Ferrari confirms Mattia Binotto’s exit from F1 grid: '...to win ultimate prize’

Scuderia Ferrari official confirmed on November 29 that Mattia Binotto will quit his position as the Team Principal on December 31. Binotto’s exit from the most historic team in the F1 circuit comes after months of speculation about the same. This also comes after Ferrari finished second in the drivers’ and constructors’ championships in the Formula 1 2022 season, which concluded on November 20 in Abu Dhabi. 

While Ferrari were off to a great start to their season with fresh regulations, the team gradually lost way in their pursuit of a championship win. The team was largely affected by poor strategic calls at several race weekends, which saw their star driver Charles Leclerc finishing second to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the drivers’ championship. Both drivers were separated by 146 points, which accurately shows Ferrari’s struggles this year. 

What has been said about Mattia Binotto’s exit from Ferrari?

Meanwhile, as per the announcement on Ferrari’s official website, commenting on the 53-year-old’s exit,  Chairman and CEO of Ferrari Benedetto Vigna said, “I would like to thank Mattia for his many great contributions over 28 years with Ferrari and particularly for leading the team back to a position of competitiveness during this past year. As a result, we are in a strong position to renew our challenge, above all for our amazing fans around the world, to win the ultimate prize in motorsport. Everyone here at the Scuderia and in the wider Ferrari community wishes Mattia well for the future.”  

‘I have decided to conclude my collaboration with Ferrari,’ says Mattia Binotto

At the same time, after serving as the team principal for Ferrari since 2019, Binotto said, “With the regret that this entails, I have decided to conclude my collaboration with Ferrari. I am leaving a company that I love, which I have been part of for 28 years, with the serenity that comes from the conviction that I have made every effort to achieve the objectives set”.

Binotto joined the Italian constructor in 1995 and had been an integral part of the team since then. He was a part of the team’s engine department during the early 2000s, when Ferrari won five consecutive drivers’ championships with the legendary Michael Schumacher. He later became the head of the engine department in 2013, before being appointed as the chief technical officer (CTO) in July 2016.

“I leave a united and growing team. A strong team, ready, I’m sure, to achieve the highest goals, to which I wish all the best for the future. I think it is right to take this step at this time as hard as this decision has been for me. I would like to thank all the people at the Gestione Sportiva who have shared this journey with me, made up of difficulties but also of great satisfaction,” Binotto further said about his exit.