Ferrari's former chief brutally trolls F1 team

Mattia Binotto, Audi, Bahrain, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

Ferrari

Ferrari's former chief brutally trolls F1 team

Mattia Binotto is now a key player within the Audi project

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Wednesday 18 March 2026 10:56

Former Ferrari F1 team principal Mattia Binotto has taken a brutal swipe at the Maranello-based outfit.

Binotto previously worked as team principal for the Scuderia between 2019-2022, before being replaced by Fred Vasseur.

Binotto has instead found himself heading up Audi's F1 project, as they tackle their first ever season in the sport as a power unit manufacturer and works team following their takeover of Sauber at the end of 2025.

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Audi have retained a lot of the key members of the Sauber team, including team principal Jonathan Wheatley and the driver pairing of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto.

And now Binotto has admitted that the setup within the outfit is much more structured than at Ferrari, claiming that 'there were no processes' when he was in charge of the Maranello-based outfit.

"It’s not harder, it’s just different," he told L'Equipe when comparing the two roles. "Mainly the culture, which isn’t Latin.

"At Ferrari, you could say there were no processes: we just gave things a go. You didn’t need a plan to get there. Whereas at Audi, with a more German, more Swiss culture, it’s all about the plans first. Without a plan, we don’t act.

"The Germans always have a plan. And having a Latin background allows me, in a way, to bring this difference, which can be useful."

Ferrari getting their act together?

While a lot of criticism has been levelled at Ferrari over the last few years, there are signs that the Maranello outfit are building something under the leadership of Vasseur.

The Frenchman signed a new contract last year to put the rumours of his exit to bed, and Ferrari look to have made significant progress in 2026, with both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton able to secure podiums already in the first two race weekends.

They appear to still be a long way off Mercedes and are unlikely to challenge for a title in 2026, but with the right development, they should be able to close that gap as the season goes on and start picking up race victories.

Then comes the objective upon which Vasseur's time at the team will be ultimately judged, whether or not they can go on to secure a first championship of any kind since 2008 in the upcoming years.

F1 Ferrari Audi Mattia Binotto