Scuderia Ferrari have officially confirmed that technical chief Mattia Binotto will replace Maurizio Arrivabene as team principal with immediate effect.
The announcement ends the long-running speculation that Arrivabene would be relieved of his duties, having failed to secure either the Drivers’ or Constructors’ Championships in his four-year tenure.
There were also reports that Binotto and Arrivabene did not see eye-to-eye with each other, further contributing to the 61-year-old’s departure.
In a statement released today, Ferrari said that the decision came after “lengthy discussions” with senior management and thanked Arrivabene for his services.
“After four years of untiring commitment and dedication, Maurizio Arrivabene is leaving the team,” it read.
“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 would like to thank Maurizio for his valuable contribution to the team’s increasing competitiveness over the past few years, and wish him the best for his future endeavours.
“With immediate effect,” it continued. “Mattia Binotto will take over as Scuderia Ferrari’s Team Principal.
“All technical areas will continue to report directly to Mattia.”
Arrivabene, a long-time member of the Ferrari squad, assumed the role of team principal from Marco Mattiacci following a disastrous 2014 campaign that saw the team record a fourth place finish in the Constructors’ standings with no wins and lose lead driver Fernando Alonso.
In the 81 races he oversaw as team principal Ferrari took 14 victories and 71 podiums and saw a major upturn in performance, enabling them to rival frontrunners Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport.
Recently, he has been linked with a senior role with Italian football powerhouse Juventus – where he has been an independent board member since 2012.
Binotto, who joined Ferrari in 1995 as a test engine engineer, had been the team’s technical chief since 2016 after James Allison stepped down from the role. He is seen as one of the key personnel in Ferrari’s improvements in 2017 and ’18.
