Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene believes the rumours of his imminent departure were simply to "create instability" within the team.
Many considered Ferrari favourites to capture the drivers' and constructors' championships this year but the team's season crumbled, with a series of mistakes from Sebastian Vettel and the pit-wall handing the initiative to Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. Hamilton wrapped up the championship with two races to spare.
That failure fueled reports in Italy of a rift within the Maranello team and suggestions technical director Mattia Binotto -- the man credited with Ferrari's resurgence since the departure of his predecessor James Allison in 2016 -- would replace Arrivabene as team principal.