Italian media react to Binotto's farewell at Ferrari

Corriere dello Sport

"It is legitimate for the boss to fire the first of his managers if there is no harmony and results are lacking. There is therefore nothing strange in the farewell of Mattia Binotto'. Paolo De Laurentiis of Corriere dello Sport said. However, the journalist underlines a worrying factor.

Ferrari, in the press release regarding Binotto's farewell, said: "The process is underway to identify Scuderia Ferrari’s new Team Principal and is expected to be finalised in the new year." De Laurentiis commented on these very words, saying: 'If Ferrari is objectively behind Red Bull, they now risk being behind themselves as well. Today's Ferrari has no one in charge and there are more black clouds on the horizon than red dawns," the journalist concludes.

La Repubblica

In addition to commemorating Binotto's history at Ferrari, La Repubblica's Alessandro Retico underlines the real cause of the split between the two parties: "Perhaps it was precisely the errors in strategy, defended by Binotto and blamed on a lack of winning mentality in a group still growing but in need of stability, that ended his cycle." 

Sky Sports (Italian edition)

The Italian edition of Sky Sports F1 offers perhaps the most valuable comments on Binotto's farewell. Carlo Vanzini lists the main missteps committed by the now former team principal over the last four years: "Too few wins. 7 victories out of 82 Grands Prix, in between a confidential agreement with the federation, for an engine, never judged irregular, but suspect. Seb fired with a phone call, Sainz in, to complete a good pair, on paper perfect." 

Speaking of 2022, finally: "Not acceptable the 'we have improved since last year, too many mistakes, Monaco, Silverstone, Hungary and others less obvious, difficult to admit both outside and inside, if not only by the drivers in their inaccuracies."

Mara Sangiorgi, for her part, speaks of Binotto as "resigning, formally, certainly not in his heart", to underline his eternal bond and respect for the team. However, the journalist defines it as 'a paradox' that the team principal's farewell only takes place after 31 December, but that it already represents the past, while a race to find a replacement begins.

Autosprint

Mario Donnini of Autosprint is quite hard on Ferrari's resigning team principal. In particular, he refers to the period of the 2019 investigations, in which Binotto was conspicuous by his noisy silence in the face of the accusations. "An embarrassing silence descended on the affair, not at all clarified by the final verdict. And herein lies the most distinctive, disturbing and unacceptable feature of the Binotto management.  To be at the helm, but feel no duty to explain, clarify and post transparency towards public opinion.

"From the 2019 affair, then after not even a season, comes this very strange way of managing not only the team but also the media reflection of the actions carried out on the track and beyond. How? In an incredible way. By achieving little, doing a lot wrong and relentlessly pretending nothing happened." comments Donnini. The journalist also dwells on one of Binotto's catchphrases, that "we have to understand....," waved like a white flag on so many occasions.