Rosberg on Binotto exit: 'Continuity is a value in F1'

©Ferrari

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Nico Rosberg says Mattia Binotto's exit from the Scuderia underscores Ferrari's crucial lack of an important value in Formula 1: continuity.

Binotto's departure on December 31 will come at the end of a four-year tenure with the House of Maranello, and after a campaign that saw the Scuderia and Charles Leclerc finish runner-up to Red Bull and Max Verstappen in F1's Constructors and Drivers' championship.

On paper, 2022 wasn't a bad year for Ferrari but digging into the nitty gritty of the Italian outfit's campaign, it was also a season in which operational errors, strategy mistakes and reliability issues cost the Scuderia a massive number of points and therefore the chance to take its title battle with Red Bull down to the wire.

The negatives therefore outweighed the positives in the eyes of Ferrari chairman John Elkann and company CEO Benedetto Vigna, and forced Binotto to hand in his resignation.

"That is one of the most difficult jobs in the world", stressed Rosberg. "It will be tough for Ferrari. Because it’s not like there are many people on the market that are up to the job.

"That role is complicated everywhere, much more there because you have incredible pressure. Let’s see what solution they find…"

Regardless of who Ferrari places at the helm of the Scuderia, it will be the team's fourth team boss change in a decade, a fact that isn't lost on Rosberg.

"Is it right to change? I don’t know, but I know that continuity is a value in Formula 1," added the 2016 F1 world champion.

"Mercedes and Red Bull have not changed most of the key people for ten years. That’s what Ferrari lacks. Being a team principal is one of the hardest jobs in the world."

Current Alfa Romeo boss Fred Vasseur is rumored to be at the top of Ferrari's list with a confirmation expected over the new year.

The Frenchman, once a mentor to Charles Leclerc, should he take the reins of the Italian outfit, could very well choose to give his former protégé number one status in the team.

But Rosberg believes that would be a mistake.

"No, that is certainly not the key to the change that is needed," insisted the German. "He must do as in 2022, leave them free to race."

Asked for which team he would race if he made a comeback to Formula 1, Rosberg gave a mixed answer.

"If I were a driver and I could choose the team in which to race, I would go to Red Bull, to be on the safe side," he said.

"Or to Ferrari because I never had this opportunity during my F1 career and Ferrari will always have a unique charm and because it’s the historical red team.

"But I wouldn’t go there hoping to win the title."

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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.