Red Bull claims Ferrari F1 team is 'weaker' after Binotto axe
Dec.21 - Ferrari is "weaker" after axing its team boss Mattia Binotto.
That is the view of Dr Helmut Marko, a top Red Bull executive who no longer thinks the Maranello-based team will be able to charge for the title in 2023.
When asked if the real winners of the Ferrari shakeup are Red Bull and Mercedes, the 79-year-old Austrian answered: "Definitely. Through stability and continuity."
Frederic Vasseur
Marko said he can't understand why Ferrari decided to replace Binotto with Alfa Romeo chief Frederic Vasseur.
"I don't quite understand the change," he told Auto Motor und Sport.
"I rate Binotto as an excellent engineer and politician who was simply overwhelmed by the task. But it would have been enough to provide him with a sports director who would support him on the track and with strategy.
"With the new man, who has many other jobs, I see a weaker Ferrari."
As well as Mercedes, Marko sees Max Verstappen's former 2021 championship rival Lewis Hamilton as a big winner of the Ferrari shakeup.
"As we said from the beginning, Mercedes is the more stable team. And they have Hamilton.
"He may have dipped this year, but his lap times repeatedly showed that he is still a top man.
"It's just the much stronger package than Ferrari," Marko added.
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Interestingly Helmet sees Mercedes and Lewis as their main competition for 2023, far from writing him off just yet. He will have seen close up close the strain that Lewis put Max under last year. RB’s so-called sporting director may have to dust off a few dirty tricks. Shaping up to be a wild season!