Ferrari were already looking for Mattia Binotto's replacement in Summer 2022: Reports

Ferrari had already made up its mind on replacing Mattia Binotto in the summer of the 2022 F1 season if reports are to be believed. John Elkann, the president of the Italian constructor, had already signed a pre-agreement with Frederic Vasseur during the summer break of the 2022 F1 season.

According to a report by formu1a.uno, a decision on the future of Binotto was taken in the summer of this season but it got delayed due to internal resistance faced by Elkann from the board. Post-Binotto's resignation, and after approaching multiple high-profile names to take up the role and getting struck down by each of them, the Scuderia board finally agreed on Vasseur as the next team principal.

In Frederic Vasseur's case as well, the move from Alfa Romeo made sense as it became evident that he was not in the plans for the team to be taken over by Audi in the imminent future. With the door at Sauber/Alfa Romeo closing shortly, a move to the Italian giant made all the sense for the French engineer as he accepted the opportunity.

Vasseur is one of the most respected members of the paddock. While he might not have the experience of winning with one of the big teams in F1, he comes from a racing and winning background in the junior categories. He could prove to be the final piece in the jigsaw puzzle that could help Ferrari reach the top of the sport.

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Christian Horner sympathizes with Mattia Binotto on his departure from Ferrari

Red Bull boss Christian Horner sympathized with Mattia Binotto on the latter's departure from Ferrari. Horner admitted that Binotto had been instrumental in bringing the Scuderia back from the midfield in 2020 to the front of the grid this season. He said:

“I think, in all fairness to Mattia, he did a very good job in producing a very competitive car and engine for Ferrari, certainly this year. Obviously, they had their moments operationally. He committed a long period of his career and life to Ferrari, and I'm sure it must be very difficult for him to leave that team after all of that time."

The Italian squad finished the season second in the championship and did that by winning multiple races and beating Mercedes in the process. Despite quite a few missteps during the season, the Scuderia took a massive step forward overall as compared to 2021, all thanks to Mattia Binotto.