In a shocking turn of events, Alpine sacked team principal Otmar Szafnauer moments after the FP1 ended in Spa-Francorchamps on Friday. Szafnauer will lead the team one last time this weekend in Belgium. After that, Alpine Motorsports vice president Bruno Famin is tipped to take his place for the time being. Now, renowned F1 expert Joe Saward reveals that former Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto could be in line to become team principal of the Enstone-based outfit.
Following a series of disappointing performances, including two back-to-back DNFs, Alpine decided to pull the plug on Szafnauer’s stint. Along with him, they have also sacked the sporting director Alan Permane and chief technical officer Pat Fry.
Now, with the team on the verge of a massive restructuring, Saward believes Binotto is the prime target for the French team. Admittedly, Renault’s CEO Luca de Meo could use a man of Binotto’s experience to lead the team, even though his stint as Ferrari boss didn’t quite go as planned.
Is Mattia Binotto the next man to lead Alpine?
Following his exit from Ferrari last year, Binotto is currently not working for any team in F1. Since rules do not allow any technical individuals to switch teams immediately, Binotto is spending his time away from the sport. Nonetheless, he can return to the paddock in 2024 and there are multiple teams he is linked with. Audi is one of the parties reportedly rumored to be interested in him. Now, however, he is being linked to Alpine following Szafnauer’s departure.
Saward, mentioning Alpine’s interest in Binotto, wrote on Green Notebook, “This might sound odd but Binotto, like de Meo and Krief is a protégé of Sergio Marchionne and knows them both from the old days. Binotto was slung out of Ferrari at the end of last year and it was probably significant that six months and a week after he left Maranello, he popped up at the British GP, not saying why he was there.”
According to Saward, Binotto could be the right man to lead Alpine because of his experience in F1. He is one of the very few men to have overseen both engine and chassis divisions collectively. It is important to note that both Ferrari and Alpine have their own engine and chassis, unlike most of the teams. Binotto could use this familiarity to his advantage, if he does take up the job in Alpine.
When can Binotto join to take up the charge at Enstone?
Despite high expectations ahead of the start of the season, Alpine has been struggling enormously. They have two young and talented drivers in Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly. Still, they have failed to capitalize on the resources available, and are P6 in the constructors’ championship standings at the moment.
Now, with the position of team principal open and Saward’s firm report, Binotto can consider joining the team in 2024. Since he left Ferrari in 2022, he is currently on gardening leave. This means the earliest he can think of joining another team is 2024.
In the end, if Mattia Binotto ends up becoming Alpine’s new boss, he can surely add some invaluable input the French squad, believes Joe Saward. Given his rare expertise both at chassis and engine level, he can help take Alpine out of the slump they currently find themselves in.
