Dec.11 (GMM) Whispers of discord at Maranello are continuing, even after the end of the 2018 season.
As pundits do their analysis of where Ferrari’s title campaign went wrong, many have pointed to a rift between team boss Maurizio Arrivabene and technical director Mattia Binotto.
And Corriere della Sera, an Italian daily, says that argument is not yet over.
“In the days after Abu Dhabi, Binotto asked for a meeting with his bosses to understand how to proceed,” correspondents Daniele Sparisci and Giorgio Terruzzi revealed.
They said Binotto is being isolated not only by Arrivabene but also Sebastian Vettel, with the latter disagreeing with those who think his 2018 car was a match for Mercedes.
“If you have a global vision of the whole year, I think we were still very far away,” said Vettel at the weekend.
Corriere della Sera believes Binotto “has received offers from various teams, but he would like to stay to continue the unfinished mission”.
“To do so, he requires clarity, a protection of roles and serenity in the environment,” the correspondents added.
Ferrari clearly struggled in the wake of president Sergio Marchionne’s death this year, with new chief John Elkann now stepping into that gap.
“Lately he has increased the frequency of his visits to Maranello,” the correspondents revealed, referring to Elkann.
“He inherited the organisation of the team but has not touched anything in recent months while his public appearances were very rare. But now he has been called on to restore serenity and strength.”