F1, Toto Wolff slams door in Mattia Binotto’s face

Mercedes team principal slams door in Mattia Binotto’s face

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has had his say on a possible landing of Mattia Binotto at the British team. The former Ferrari driver recently resigned from his post at the end of a season where the Prancing Horse took second place in both the constructors’ and drivers’ championships with Charles Leclerc.

“I don’t see Binotto in Mercedes. There has been too much venom between Mattia and me in the last two years. It would not be possible, but I see him doing well in other teams. He is a man who knows Formula 1 very well and maybe he could find a good role in the future. There are many destinations that are attractive at the moment,” explained the Austrian executive, speaking on the ‘Beyond the Grid’ podcast.

“Mattia and I have had our moments over the years, and in 2022 it was clear that he was under pressure. If you are the boss of a team like Ferrari, the best thing is to have a good contract for when you leave. His departure was inevitable, but he lasted longer than I expected. There is more pressure at Ferrari than at any other team, because you represent an entire country. Mattia’s replacement must be a great Italian managerial talent. You have to control the sport, regulations, the governing body, commercial rights and rivals. All these problems are within the paddock. Just because you are a good manager on the race wall does not guarantee that you will be as good in these aspects,” Wolff continued.