Mattia Binotto says he is not taking the credit for Ferrari’s 2023 car.
The Swiss-born Italian engineer was axed as Ferrari team boss following the often calamitous failed championship attempt last year.
He was in charge at Maranello for four years, but before that had prominent engineering and executive roles dating all the way back to the pre-Michael Schumacher era.
But he was conspicuously absent when Ferrari revealed and debuted its 2023 car earlier this week - despite the fact that the SF-23 was largely developed during his reign.
"In Formula 1, we don’t talk about the individual, but about the complete group," Binotto, 53, insisted when asked what credit he takes for the 2023 single seater.
"This is a car that was designed last year, when I was with Ferrari, but it’s not my car," he told Corriere dello Sport. "It’s Ferrari’s car.
"To win, you always need to have the best car. The driver makes the difference on track for the last two tenths."