Horner not surprised by Binotto exit from Ferrari

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Red Bull team boss Christian Horner says he wasn't surprised by the recent announcement of Mattia Binotto's departure from Ferrari, having already sat opposite five other Scuderia chiefs since 2005.

Binotto handed his resignation to Ferrari chairman John Elkann after guiding the Italian outfit to a runner up spot in both of F1's championships.

But that achievement wasn't enough to outweigh the many costly missteps and mistakes executed by Ferrari this season and that ruined the team's chances of fighting Red Bull down to the wire.

Read also: Häkkinen doubts Leclerc pushed for Binotto exit at Ferrari

"Not really. It's obviously Ferrari's choice," Horner replied when asked by Sky F1 if he was surprised by Binotto's demise.

"I think it will be the sixth team principal I'll have sat opposite since I've been at Red Bull," Horner added.

Binotto will leave Ferrari at the end December, having spent the last 28 years in various engineering and management roles at the House of Maranello.

Obviously it's difficult for him," added a sympathetic Horner. "They had a great car this year, they were certainly very competitive."

Ferrari's top brass has yet to name a successor to Binotto, and while Horner was cited as a potential candidate for the job, the Briton made clear that his "allegiance" lies with Red Bull.

"My commitment is very much with the Red Bull team," he said. "I've been there since the beginning, and obviously have a very close attachment."

Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali, who led Ferrari's efforts during six years and who was the last team boss to oversee a championship winning campaign for the House of Maranello, underscored the importance for F1 of having a competitive Ferrari team on the grid.

"I really hope that Ferrari will find the right solution to stay on track, because they did a big recovery from where they were two years ago," the Italian told Sky.

"We need Ferrari to be competitive and we need to have a good team, a strong team, strong drivers, to fight against the others. So that’s the wish that I’m hoping for."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.