Will Mattia Binotto become the new boss of Alpino? This possibility is becoming more and more likely and has been talked about for several weeks now. The Italian engineer will try to save Renault and especially its engine program, although numerous sources agree that he will take a managerial, not an engineering, position.
Mattia has been enjoying a mandatory vacation since the beginning of the year. He was to spend the entire year of 2023 in seclusion as an employee of Ferrari, which prevents him from moving to a competitor for fear of his intellectual property. However, it should be free at the beginning of 2024; maybe even sooner, if Alpina managed to reach an agreement with Ferrari to release him early from his contract.
That’s exactly what happened. His compatriot and the president of Renault, Luca de Meo, is eminently interested in his services, and the question remains when Binotto will take up his new position.
“The Swiss-Italian engineer was seen on the Spa circuit, not during the Grand Prix, but during the Pirelli tests. He has remained discreet and we can assume that Alpine will carefully consider the timing of announcing his arrival, taking into account contractual obligations with Ferrari and the situation at the French team.” writes the portal Autojournal.fr.
“Binotto has reportedly accepted an offer from Renault group boss Luca de Mea to succeed Otmar Szafnauer as Alpine team boss, possibly taking on another title with wider remits,” they state in France.
Even more remarkable is the timing. According to the named source, interim boss Bruno Famin should not lead Alpine for more than a few weeks, and Binotto could take up his new position at the beginning of September, writes Autojournal.fr. It would be really spicy if Mattia experienced the premiere in the new capacity at his home Italian Grand Prix.
A renowned Italian journalist also commented on the situation Leo Turrini with good contacts in Maranello. This long-time journalist knows Binotto very well and personally, and in his last blog he also responded to the situation surrounding the former head of the Scuderia.
“They say in France that Binotto has already agreed with Alpine. I wouldn’t be surprised. I have known Mattia for almost 30 years. He’s a great guy who may be undermined by overconfidence. Heading Ferrari was a dream come true for him. However, his other dreams did not come true, which is partly his own fault. He made mistakes, but he didn’t always get adequate support. He trusted the wrong friends and his communication was disastrous. Some of his statements directly called for revenge. But to put it into perspective, Mattia is a great person. If he finds a mentor in de Meo and if he learns to listen more, he could achieve great success.” he said to his acquaintance Turrini in my blog.
2023-08-08 09:06:01
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