Fiorio says Binotto has Ferrari backing despite losing "mentor" Marchionne

Former sporting director at Ferrari Cesare Fiorio thinks the team have backed the right horse in Mattia Binotto, as the technical director at the team will now be the team principal instead of the axed Maurizio Arrivabene.

Binotto has been a Ferrari employee since 1995, rising through the ranks at the company in the two and a half decades he's been there. Arrivabene, who had been team principal at Ferrari since September 2014, was not given a contract renewal at the end of last year.

“Mattia Binotto is an engineer who grew up within Ferrari," Fiorio told Gazzetta dello Sport. Fiorio himself was sporting director at Ferrari for two years since 1989 before he got axed ahead of the 1991 season.

"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.

“The results of the last few years have been favourable 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 his mentor but he has great confidence and experience on the technical level.” 

It is quite remarkable that despite his death, Marchionne is still getting the appointments he wanted half a year ago. Charles Leclerc was someone he desperately wanted to sign, and this happened several months after his passing. 

Binotto also had the blessing of Marchionne, and the late Ferrari CEO got his wish yet again as he was made team principal.