‘Binotto isn’t the right man to lead Ferrari’

Bernie Ecclestone reckons Mattia Binotto is not the right man to be at the helm at Ferrari as he is an “engineer” and not a leader.

So who would he give the job to? Flavio Briatore.

Joining Ferrari back in 1995 in the engine department, Binotto was promoted to Chief Technical Officer in 2016 before being named as Maurizio Arrivabene’s replacement as team boss at the start of the 2019 season.

Binotto’s tenure, albeit very brief, has yet to yield the success that Ferrari has dreamed of.

Last year Ferrari’s championship was blighted by mistakes from both the pit wall and the drivers, not helped the rivalry between Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc.

Added to that Ferrari courted controversy with their power unit, which rivals claimed was illegal.

Ferrari once again finished the championship a distant second to Mercedes in the standings with the Maranello team only taking three grands prix wins.

The team’s mistakes raised questions about whether Binotto is the right man to have at the helm.

Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says no.

Asked if Binotto is a ‘leader’, Ecclestone told the Daily Mail: “No, he’s an engineer.

“They need someone in there who can make people understand that when you say something it happens. Not maybe. Or a discussion.”

So who would Ecclestone turn to?

“I would have got Flavio Briatore to run Ferrari,” he said.

“Flavio would do what he always did with Benetton and Renault: he’d steal the best people from other teams.

“The problem is that in the end Flavio would have let people think Ferrari belonged to him.”

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