Mattia Binotto 'set for F1 return' as former Ferrari chief plots his "revenge"

08 August 2023 , 16:57

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Mattia Binotto is between jobs after leaving Ferrari at the end of last year (Image: Getty Images)

Mattia Binotto has been strongly tipped to become the new Alpine team principal.

The Renault-backed squad is in need of a new leader following the axing of Otmar Szafnauer at last month's Belgian Grand Prix. Both he and long-serving sporting director Alan Permane left Enstone by mutual consent.

Alpine vice president Bruno Famin has taken temporary charge and is expected to fulfil that role at the Dutch Grand Prix later this month. He recently said the team is in no rush to appoint a permanent team boss.

But reports claim Szafnauer's successor has already been secured. According to French outlet L'Auto Journal, Renault chief executive Luca de Meo has chosen Binotto as his preferred choice for the role.

It remains to be seen when the Italian would be free to take over if he accepts the job. His Ferrari resignation was followed by a period of gardening leave of between six months and a year, so it is currently unclear whether he would be able to take up the role before the end of this season.

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If he does accept, it will be Binotto's first Formula 1 role outside of Ferrari. He spent more than two decades rising through the ranks to become team principal, spending four years in that role before he left at the end of last year.

It was described as a resignation, but the belief is that Binotto jumped before he was pushed. Ferrari's title challenge crumbled after the first half of the 2022 season for a variety of reasons, and he was the one to pay the price as the brand's board members continued their trend of being impatient for success.

Experienced Italian journalist Leo Turrini said he "wouldn't be surprised" if the reports linking Binotto to Alpine turned out to be true. And he feels the former Ferrari chief will return to the grid with a score to settle if he does take on that job.

"I have known Mattia for almost 30 years. He is a smart guy, perhaps undermined by an excess of self-esteem," he wrote for Quotidiano. "He had the Ferrari [team] in hand for a few years, it was his dream come true. Other dreams, however, have failed, also due to his own responsibility.

"He made mistakes, but he wasn't always helped. He trusted the wrong friends and in communication, it was a disaster. Some of his utterances cry out for revenge. But, for the avoidance of doubt, he is a smart person. If he finds a mentor in De Meo and learns to listen more, he could do very good things."

Daniel Moxon