Fiorio: Binotto lost his mentor but has great confidence

When the news finally became official that Binotto was the new man in charge at Via Abetone Inferiore number 4, the penny dropped: it was clear that the highly rated engineer was destined to lead the team, after all, he joined them in 1995 and has evolved through all levels of the organisation - a homegrown Ferrarista through and through.

Thus no real surprise that it became a question of 'when not if' he would take over the hot seat. Over the past week the Ferrari board, headed by Agnelli heir John Elkann, decided that the time was now.

When asked about the change by Gazzetta dello Sport, Fiorio said, "Mattia Binotto is an engineer who grew up within Ferrari. Thanks to him the car has evolved in a positive direction and above all it is what Sergio Marchionne had planned."

"Binotto compared to Maurizio Arrivabene has more specific technical experience but, at the same time, being an engineer he now has to get to the bones of the political management of the team. He is now in a league that has no room to hide in."

Fiorio, who was sporting director at Ferrari from 1989 until he was sacked a few weeks before the 1991 season, continued, "The results of the last few years have been favorable because of Marchionne's intervention. Arrivabene, an advertising man, had no experience of racing and maybe that was what was missing."

"Under Marchionne, the technical gap with Mercedes was reduced, the car had developed a lot and Binotto was responsible for this. Without Marchionne, Binotto lost mentor but has great confidence and experience on a technical level," added Fiorio.

In retrospect, Marchionne inadvertently or not is still calling shots from his grave.

First, not long after his passing in late July, it emerged that he had inked a deal to ensure Charles Leclerc drove for the Scuderia in 2019. And thus it will be with Kimi Raikkonen shown the door.

Now, a further part of his vision for the future of the Scuderia has been realised with his protege Binotto promoted to team chief.

Time will tell if the Swiss-born engineer has all the faculties required to make a success of this enormous task, namely team chief of one of the top sporting franchises on the planet.

With Binotto has to hit the road running and, from now on his, every move will be in the spotlight, a far cry from anything the 49-year-old has ever been accustomed to.

https://www.grandprix247.com/2017/10/23/marchionne-choosing-between-arrivabene-or-binotto-is-idiotic/