Ferrari signed a pre-agreement with Mattia Binotto's replacement long before his resignation was announced, it has been claimed.
After much speculation it was confirmed at the end of last month that the Italian will leave his role after four years in charge. While his departure was framed in the context of it being Binotto's decision, it is understood he felt he no longer had the full confidence of executive chairman John Elkann.
Just two weeks earlier, Ferrari had dismissed speculation that Binotto would be leaving by asserting the rumours were "totally without foundation". But, of course, it later became apparent that a change would indeed be made at the top after a year in which the team's title challenge faded badly.
Alfa Romeo team principal Frederic Vasseur is the man expected to be announced as his successor. F1 Insider reported last week that the decision has been made and that the news should become official in the coming weeks. Binotto's last day in the job is December 31.
In a new report, Italian outlet Formu1a.uno also states that the deal is done. But it also went as far as to claim that a pre-agreement was signed by Vasseur and Ferrari "at the end of last summer", with the "first approaches" made in June.
The report also claims that Vasseur had been actively seeking a move to Ferrari himself, "knowing that he was no longer in Sauber's plans". Once it was announced that his current employer will become the Audi works team from 2026, "the relations then intensified".
Once Binotto made it clear he would be leaving, Elkann is said to have "tried to make last, desperate attempts to convince more prominent personalities" to take on the role. The report cites an unnamed "former Mercedes" employee, but Ferrari chief executive Benedetto Vigna is said to be "very happy with the arrival of Vasseur".
The Frenchman has himself remained tight-lipped on the rumours. Asked in Abu Dhabi last month about the links, he failed to rule out the prospect of taking the job and simply replied: "I'm not going to say anything about it, you'll find out soon enough."
At the FIA Prize Giving gala last Friday, driver Charles Leclerc gave his thoughts on the speculation that he will be reunited with his old boss. He said: "I worked with Fred already in the junior categories, where he believed in me and we always had a good relationship... He has always been very straightforward and honest and that is something I like. Whether it will be him or not, I don't know. We will see, hopefully in the next few months."
