https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/n...power-struggle
MPH: Vettel, Leclerc and Ferrari’s power struggle
by
Mark Hughes on 30th November 2018
Vettel and Leclerc's biggest challenges at Ferrari could come from the power struggle above
Arrivabene has also said that interest from other teams in technical director Mattia Binotto is “fake news”. It is not. There is one very firm offer on the table and another, ‘we’d be very interested in having a talk with you,’ opening for the man credited with turning Ferrari into the most technically creative team of the last two seasons.
In their combined litany of errors this year, Ferrari and Vettel seem to have damaged their relationship
The possibility of having Binotto serving gardening leave next season – and then working against Ferrari beyond that – is a worrying one for the Scuderia and could form the biggest barrier of all to Leclerc’s prospects.
The background to it all, of course, is tied up in the sudden death of Sergio Marchionne in July.
It’s widely believed the late president had planned to replace Arrivabene as team principal with Binotto. Which, of course, defines the current working relationship between the two men as awkward.
The management above Arrivabene cannot, in all responsibility, ignore the possibility of Binotto flying the nest. Could Binotto be satisfied with continuing indefinitely in his current role when there are genuine offers that would allow him to develop his career and reputation? Does Arrivabene have the personal skills to convince Binotto that they are stronger together than apart? Does he possess the vision to take the team forward? These are not questions Louis Camilleri, John Elkan or Piero Ferrari can shirk from.
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