Karun Chandhok believes Ferrari need to do more than just change team principal
Ferrari's Mattia Binotto looks to the side as he answers a question in the media pen. Baku, June 2022.
Karun Chandhok thinks a “wider re-structuring” is needed at Ferrari rather than simply swapping out Mattia Binotto as team principal.
Rumours surrounding Binotto’s future at the team have resurfaced in Italy, despite the team having recently posted a statement on social media to say any speculation about hisposition as team principal was “totally without foundation”.
Binotto did say he would ultimately not be the one in charge of his own destiny as Ferrari team boss, however, saying when asked byPlanetF1.com “it is not down to me to decide”whether or not he stays in situ with the Scuderia.
Binotto defended the team’s overall record this season, but acknowledged improvements still need to be made if they are to compete for both titles next year.
Ex-Formula 1 driver Chandhok, now a pundit for Sky Sports, believes changes at Maranello should go further than merely at the top of the team.
Chandhok posted on Twitter: “Will be a shame to see Mattia Binotto go. Always found him to be interesting & willing to chat.
“He tried to create a no-fear, no-blame culture & as a part of that, he didn’t make the changes he should have.
“Changing just the TP [team principal] isn’t the answer – they need wider re-structuring.
“I wonder if Mattia needs to be shuffled sideways into a technical leadership role – let’s not forget they have designed and produced a very fast car this year.
“Creating a better operational and development team in parallel with the concept and design is key.”
Whatever happens with Binotto, Ferrari know change is coming
Regardless of whether or not Binotto stays on in his role as team principal, he and both Ferrari drivers have acknowledged off-track changes need to be made in order to make that extra step next year.
Unlike in 2017 and 2018, when it could be arguedMercedesoutdeveloped the Scuderia over the year and ended up with a slightly faster car, for the most part the F1-75 looked at least a match for Red Bull’s RB18 at most circuits, making defeat even harder to swallow.
当然,Verstappen背后的整体优势wheel cannot be underestimated, but the team know they could and perhaps should have made life more difficult for the Red Bull driver this year.
Whatever changes are made at Maranello over the winter, the 2023 iteration of Ferrari will be an intriguing one to watch – will they have learned their lessons from past near misses? Only time will tell.
Read more: Esteban Ocon ‘convinced’ he could fight with Max Verstappen at the sharp end
