How Fred Vasseur offered a subtle but pointed lesson to Mattia Binotto amid Lewis Hamilton move

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The 2024 Formula 1 championship, which just concluded, saw Ferrari as a major protagonist until the very end of the season. A battle in the Constructors’ Championship with McLaren highlighted how the Maranello team has made significant progress compared to recent years. For the first time since the hybrid era began in Formula 1, the Prancing Horse fought for a title until the finish line of the final race.

It’s certainly nothing to celebrate, as Charles Leclerc himself made clear immediately after last Sunday’s race in Abu Dhabi. However, the improvements over the past two years are undeniable, especially considering the team came from a period of disastrous management, with glaring shortcomings both technically and in communication.

We are, of course, talking about Mattia Binotto, the former Ferrari team principal and now a key figure at Sauber/Audi as the four-ringed brand prepares to enter Formula 1 in 2026. After a long and successful career in Maranello, the Italian engineer pursued a path to power at the end of 2018, earning a promotion as head of the Ferrari Racing Department replacing Maurizio Arrivabene, with all the associated consequences.

Apart from the first half of 2022, when the car interpreted the early stages of the current technical regulations well, Mattia Binotto’s management was disastrous in every respect. This was not just about technical issues but also communication, as the role of a team principal involves effectively addressing the media, engaging fans, and responding to colleagues’ statements.

Under Mattia Binotto’s management, Ferrari was an outright disaster: three wins in 2019, four in 2022, and then a complete void. The 2020 Formula 1 season was marred by an engine crippled by the FIA, which had deemed it not entirely compliant in the previous year. The handling of drivers was abysmal, such as the controversial departure of Sebastian Vettel, who publicly contradicted Mattia Binotto about the manner in which his contract renewal was denied. Then there were the injustices toward Charles Leclerc in 2022 to favor Carlos Sainz, as seen in the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone circuit, with pathetic excuses about track position, a factor far less critical in modern Formula 1 than having the most effective tires at a certain moment of the race.

In short, Frederic Vasseur’s arrival was a breath of fresh air for the entire Maranello team, which had been left demoralized by the disastrous 2023 car, Mattia Binotto’s final legacy. Yet, true to his poor communication skills, the former Ferrari team principal claimed in an October interview with the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera that, had he still been at Ferrari, he would never have signed Lewis Hamilton.

Mattia Binotto stated that he wouldn’t have signed Lewis Hamilton but acknowledged that the driver had done well to seize the opportunity. The new Audi boss expressed agreement with the decision made by the seven-time Formula 1 world champion, noting that Ferrari had already focused on other drivers. Mattia Binotto also believed that, as the team’s key talent, Charles Leclerc should be the one guided toward achieving the main objective. A statement that, ultimately, amounts to little, especially since Carlos Sainz, evidently his protégé, was removed from the Ferrari project to make room for a seven-time F1 world champion.

At the time, Scuderia Ferrari was in the thick of the world championship battle, riding the momentum of American victories by Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in the Austin Grand Prix and the Mexico City Grand Prix. There was no time—or perhaps no inclination—to respond to comments from a member of another team. Once the engines were off and the season settled, Frederic Vasseur had the chance to share his thoughts on those remarks when prompted by the Italian media.

The Frenchman quipped, with his characteristic irony, that he didn’t think Lewis Hamilton would have considered joining Sauber. He remarked on how many people seemed to have time to comment on Ferrari’s decisions, while he himself remained focused on the team’s work. Reflecting on his time at Sauber, the French manager noted that he was not permitted to speak about Ferrari. He also acknowledged that Lewis Hamilton was in a complicated situation after a long collaboration and suggested that some frustration was understandable, given the challenges of the season, which the British driver knew would not be easy.

Once again, Frederic Vasseur offered a subtle but pointed lesson to Mattia Binotto, who seemingly had nothing more pressing to occupy his thoughts. The French manager continues to rebuild a team that the Italian engineer left in pieces. It takes time, but it’s clear that a driver as significant as Lewis Hamilton would not have even considered leaving Mercedes for Ferrari’s cause just a few years ago. Something has changed for the better in Maranello.

— see video above —-