Ferrari have reportedly made their decision over who should replace outgoing team principal Mattia Binotto.
The Italian departs this month after four years in charge at Maranello. During that time the team endured one of its worst seasons in decades when it finished sixth in 2020, but under his guidance they went from that struggling outfit to having a car this year which was consider a bona fide title contender.
Unfortunately for Ferrari, their championship charge faltered amid a string of strategy errors and some power unit reliability issues. In the end they finished a long way behind runaway champions Red Bull, though Charles Leclerc was still able to finish second in the drivers' standings behind title-winner Max Verstappen.
Prior to the announcement of his resignation, there was plenty of speculation over Binotto's future as team boss. In the end, he chose to step away feeling he no longer had the full confidence of Ferrari executive chairman John Elkann.
And since his resignation was confirmed, attention has turned to the identity of the man who will replace him for the 2023 season and beyond. According to F1 Insider, the top brass in Maranello have made their decision.
The report claims Frederic Vasseur, the widely-tipped favourite to take the job, has indeed been selected. The 54-year-old, currently team principal at Alfa Romeo, is set to be announced before the end of the year.
The Frenchman's current team is not expected to put up too much of a fight to keep him. Sauber, currently racing under the Alfa Romeo brand, will become the Audi works team when the carmaker enters Formula 1 in 2026 – the German manufacturer is expected to bring in its own people to fill the top positions at the team.
While vastly experienced, the Ferrari job will not be an easy one for Vasseur. Expectation at Ferrari is always extremely high, as is the pressure if results fall below those lofty ambitions – he will become the team's fifth team principal since 2014.
The F1 Insider report also claims he could face some resistance from Nicholas Todt, Leclerc's manager. His brother Jean, another former Ferrari chief, worked with Vasseur in the past with the ART Grand Prix team in junior categories, but their current relationship is believed to be strained.
