Ross Brawn linked with a return to Ferrari after resigning from top F1 job

Ross Brawn made a swift halt to rumours that his next move could be to replace Ferrari's soon-to-be-ousted team boss, Mattia Binotto.

Although the Maranello team denied the initial rumours of Binotto's demise, these are back with a vengeance this week in authoritative Italian specialist publications.

"After Abu Dhabi, there were no talks between Binotto and top management, reaffirming his isolation," writes Luigi Perna in the highly respected La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"The terms and extent of Binotto's severance, as he had a contract that expired at the end of 2023, are yet to be defined."

READ: Brawn retires from Formula One saying his work is done

It is believed the favourite to replace Binotto is Frederic Vasseur, currently the boss at Alfa Romeo but with strong ties to Charles Leclerc's manager Nicholas Todt.

Reports indicate that McLaren's Andreas Seidl and even Christian Horner, the ultra-successful Red Bull team principal, were approached but turned down the role.

Stefano Mancini, a journalist for La Stampa newspaper, says Vasseur "remains a candidate" although Benedetto Vigna - Ferrari CEO - could be installed as an interim team boss.

So, too, is Binotto's 2022 deputy Laurent Mekies.

The ideal successor

Yet another rumour is that Ferrari chairperson John Elkann is yet to accept Binotto's letter of resignation while he searches for the ideal successor.

One Italian source said Binotto is already linked with at least four job offers elsewhere in the pit lane, including Alpine and Aston Martin.

La Stampa's Mancini, meanwhile, thinks Ferrari may have approached the newly-retired former Formula 1 managing director Ross Brawn - Maranello's ultra-successful past technical boss.

In his parting message on F1's official website,