P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Ex-Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto has doubled down on his criticism of the team’s decision to sign Lewis Hamilton, intimating his F1 career is nearing an end.
Former Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto has reiterated his criticism of the team’s decision to sign Lewis Hamilton, hinting that his Formula 1 career is coming to a close. Leading Sauber as its COO during the transition to Audi, Binotto oversaw Carlos Sainz’s recruitment to Ferrari before Hamilton’s arrival. Despite the excitement surrounding Hamilton’s move in 2024, his performance with Ferrari has been underwhelming, with only one Sprint victory in China. Binotto acknowledges Ferrari’s current struggles but expresses confidence in the team’s abilities to improve and achieve success this year. He believes the timing of Hamilton’s signing was too late due to the driver’s age, suggesting it would have been better to sign him earlier. Binotto, now focusing on the Audi project at Sauber, views Max Verstappen as the strongest driver in Formula 1 at present, praising the talent of both Verstappen and Ferrari’s current drivers.
