Former tech boss Anderson criticises Ferrari’s promotion of Binotto
Ferrari made the “wrong decision” picking Mattia Binotto to replace Maurizio Arrivabene as its Formula 1 team principal, says former F1 technical director Gary Anderson.
Binotto took charge of Ferrari’s engine development after its dismal performance at the start of F1’s V6 turbo-hybrid era in 2014.
He was then promoted to a role as overall technical chief in mid-2016 as part of an overhaul designed by then- president and CEO Sergio Marchionne.
Former Jordan technical chief Anderson said: “Binotto is someone who has been very good at being a technical manager. You’ve got to allow him to be a technical manager.
“That is a full-time job, seven days a week. It’s not a part-time thing. That is going to dilute their technical effort for sure.
“I think it’s the wrong decision. They should have brought someone else in.”
It is unclear who will replace Binotto as head of Ferrari’s technical department, but there are suggestions the team may elect to simply hand more responsibility to aero chief Enrico Cardile and head of its engine department Corrado Iotti.
Anderson added: “I don’t really see why you would take your best technical person... and put him in a management, political position which is not his forte.”