Ferrari team principal, Maurizio Arrivabene will not be helping Ferrari to take the championship in the 2019. Ferrari has confirmed his exit from the team, ending his four-year reign over the team. The Italian has been a prominent figure on the pit wall but shouldered much of the blame for Ferrari’s failed 2018 championship run.
Arrivabene will be replaced by Mattia Binotto, effective immediately. The background of the two varies a lot: Arrivabene came from a marketing and management background, whereas Binotto has a degree in vehicle engineering. First joining the team back in 1995, Binotto took the role of Chief Technical Officer in the summer of 2016, replacing James Allison.
In a statement, Ferrari said in part:
“After four years of untiring commitment and dedication, Maurizio Arrivabene is leaving the team. The decision was taken together with the company’s top management after lengthy discussions related to Maurizio’s long term personal interests as well as those of the team itself.”
Ferrari has a history of firing management, as evident with Marco Mattiacci and Stefano Domenicali (Arrivabene’s two most recent predecessors). Rumors that Arrivabene would be leaving the team circulated near the end of the season, with him having been linked to a management role on the Juventus football team. However, it’s believed that this management shuffle is a result of arguments between Arrivabene and Binotto over the direction of the team.
Binotto will remain in control of all technical departments on the team, with no current announcement over whether the team will hire or promote someone to take the vacant role of Chief Technical Officer.
