Motorsports
Ferrari haven’t found a successor for Binotto, who are the favourites?
By early 2023, Ferrari will decide who will succeed Mattia Binotto – whose retirement has just been announced – in Scuderia’s race management. Responding to Ross Bron reports: ‘From next year I will be watching F1 from my sofa’.
After days of intense rumours, Ferrari today (29/11) officially announced the resignation of Mattia Binotto from the post of Scuderia’s Technical Director.
For now, the Italian team has made it clear that they are in the process of picking their replacement and will announce him in early 2023.
Reports from the main Italian newspapers have been saying for days that Alfa Romeo F1/Sauber racing director Fred Wasser is the front-runner for the anointing. The Frenchman has close ties to the Todt family and Charles Leclerc’s manager Nicolas Todt.
Leclerc managed Vasseur on his F1 debut in 2018 with Alfa Romeo and earlier in his career. The Monegasque has raced in both karts and Formula 3 with Vasseur’s ART team and his arrival at Maranello seems an ideal fit for Leclerc in terms of balance within the team.
At the same time, a recent publication by French newspaper L’Equipe reported that there had been a rupture in the Monegasque pilot’s relations with Binotto since last June, when the two spoke. In fact, Binotto traveled to Monaco this summer to meet Leclerc for a private lunch.
Leclerc is rumored to be pushing for a change in leadership while most recently opening up the possibility of leaving Maranello at the end of 2024 when his contract expires. And the first rumors about Mercedes came out.
Furthermore, Binotto’s resignation was reportedly the result of a dispute the Italian had with Ferrari President John Elkann and CEO Benedetto Vigna.
Reports in Italy agree that alongside water there was an approach from Ferrari to McLaren race director Andreas Siddle, but the German declined.
Yesterday, meanwhile, a publication in Italy’s La Stampa reported that a possible replacement for Binotto – although not the most likely – is Ross Bron, the team’s technical director during Scuderia’s dominance with Michael Schumacher (2000-’04).
Braun held the role of Mercedes F1 race director until his retirement in 2014, but returned three years later as Formula 1 race director, working for the sport’s new owner, US-based company Liberty Media.
Braun was working on the new regulations for 2022 and at the end of this season has fulfilled his commitment to step down from that role as well.
In his latest article, the Brit says his Formula 1 career is now over and, in his own words, it seems doubtful that Ferrari can convince him to bring him back to Maranello: “I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve done over the past few years. I’ve moved away from wanting to be part of a team, I’ve decided I’ve done too much of that already! And (his new role in F1 management) was the only thing that could have irritated me. Now is the right time for me to retire.” Bron wrote.
He continued, “We have done most of the work and are now in a period of consolidation [των τεχνικών αλλαγών]. There will be a new car in 2026, but there are still four years to go and that’s still a long way to go for me. So it’s better if the next group of people takes over.
I think I’m leaving F1 in a great place. Now I will be watching F1 from my sofa, cheering or swearing like any F1 fan, happy that the sport is at a fantastic level and has a fantastic future too.”
Officially, Mattia Binotto will remain in his position at Scuderia until December 31, 2022, and his successor will come to Maranello at the beginning of the new year. In the event that Ferrari has not reached an agreement by then, this role will be assumed by Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna for as long as necessary.
Similar to a Greek football team, Ferrari will change its fifth race director in the last decade. The burden will be heavy on the next man’s shoulders as he is tasked with giving Ferrari its first Formula One championship in 15 years.
Mattia Binotto took over from Maurizio Arrivabene at Ferrari in 2019 and managed to become competitive again for the first time since 2008 with the fastest car in the sport in the first half of the season.
Scuderia claimed 4 wins and 12 pole positions, but the team’s upward trend stumbled again in the constant roar at the Maranello circuits.
Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari press office
Source: sport 24
Hi, my name is Jayden James. I am a writer at Sportish, and I mostly cover sports news. I have been writing since high school and have been published in various magazines and newspapers. I also write book reviews for a website. In my free time, I enjoy playing soccer and basketball.
Former Formula 1 driver Riccardo Patrese believes 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli has the chance to compete for the championship in his second season.
With changes to the technical rules, the power order in the starting lineup for the 2026 season may change significantly. Patrese added that Antonelli has already shown that he can be among the names to compete for the championship:
“If Mercedes builds the best car under the new rules, Antonelli should focus on fighting Russell, as he has already shown he can do, and the rest will follow,” Patrese said.
“To the championship title!” he replied when asked how far the young Italian could go next year.
If Antonelli manages to win the championship next season, he will become the first driver to win the title in his second season since Lewis Hamilton in 2008.
Patrese recorded Antonelli’s first year:
“He made his debut, had to learn everything and coped well with the inevitable mistakes that come with lack of experience. I really enjoyed it, he showed pure class moments.”
Antonelli took three podium finishes in his debut season, including an impressive weekend at Interlagos and a spectacular comeback at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
A 2002 McLaren MP4-17A will go up for auction at RM Sotheby’s in Paris in 2026. Competing in 12 Grands Prix, the chassis was driven by Kimi Raikkonen and David Coulthard, achieving five podiums and one victory. The estimated price of the land is between 1,000,000 and 1,400,000 Euros.
The car was designed under the guidance of the legendary Adrian Newey. Although the MP4-17 initially showed inconsistent performance, it was later able to compete with the dominant Ferrari F2002 and regularly achieve podium finishes.
Chassis number 6 appeared in the middle of the 2002 season and was mainly used by Raikkonen, who replaced Mika Hakkinen in the team. The Finnish driver immediately finished third in the European Grand Prix, followed by second in France and third in the USA.
In 2003, the same chassis updated and driven by Coulthard won the season opener in Australia, marking the Scot’s 13th and final Formula One victory.
The car’s last race was at the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix, driven by Raikkonen, who finished second behind Rubens Barrichello, also of Ferrari. That season the championship was won by Michael Schumacher, who finished eighth in the race.
The car retains its original 2002 West livery and Räikkönen number 4 and is powered by a 3.0-litre Mercedes-Benz FO110 V10 engine. A complete restoration is required for reuse on the track.
Following its racing career, the car was stored at McLaren for 17 years and was purchased by its current owner in 2021. For fans of the early 2000s, this land is a unique investment and historical value.
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
About a year ago, Alpin decided to abandon Renault power plants and prefer Mercedes engines as of the 2026 season. The team came to the conclusion that its own engines had become a limiting factor in the fight for good results and sacrificed the status of the works team for the sake of customer cooperation with the German manufacturer, which was considered the favorite of the new technical regulations.
At the same time, the situation with Mercedes engines remains tense. Competitors are analyzing the possible use of thermal expansion to increase the compression ratio above the 16:1 limit in race conditions. While Honda, Ferrari and Audi may insist on breaches of the rules, Mercedes claims the rules were fully followed during static checks.
Despite the risks of the customer model, Enston is confident in the correctness of the choice. In 2026, the same engines will be used by McLaren, Williams and Mercedes factory teams, which will further intensify the competition. Of particular note is Williams, who finished the season under James Vowles in fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship, ahead of Alpine. This increases the pressure on the French team, but Pierre Gasly believes betting on Mercedes will allow them to compete at the front of the peloton from the start of Formula 1’s new era.
“We are opening a new chapter with Mercedes and given their CV and the number of championships, I am sure it will be a great adventure.”
“I’m not going to lie, I’m really excited about it. From what I hear, the Mercedes engine is in very good shape at the moment.”
“So I’m looking forward to the first test and the feeling that the Mercedes force is behind me. I have very high expectations for our team next year.”
“We made tactical sacrifices in 2025 so we can start 2026 on the right steps. I want to fight at the front of the peloton next season.”
“I don’t see any reason why we can’t be among the leaders at this point.”
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
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