Fall out with president behind James Allison departure

James Allison's Ferrari departure came after a falling out with company president Sergio Marchionne according to reports.

German publication Auto Motor und Sport, claimed that was the reason for the split, despite Ferrari claiming it was a joint decision.

Earlier this year, Allison's wife died suddenly and it has been rumoured he might want to return full-time to Britain where his children live.

Allison had been rumoured to be seeking a return to Britain after the death of his wife earlier this year. According to the German publication, the former Renault man has only been spending three and a half days in Italy this season and has rarely attended races as he spends more time with his children in his homeland.

However, Michael Schmidt of Auto Motor und Sport reports that while a return to Britain was part of his decision to leave, a falling out with Marchionne behind closed doors was also a key factor.

"Returning to England is certainly one of the reasons for the separation," he said. "But there are also claims that Marchionne could not cope with Allison, because the Briton spoke his mind and refused to be dictated unreasonable targets in contrast to his (Allison's) 25 years of motor sport experience."

Allion's replacement, engine chief Mattia Binotto, is said to only be an interim solution according to Schmidt, amid rumours that Ferrari's former technical director is making his way to Hockenheim this weekend.

Allison meanwhile has been linked with moves to Mercedes and McLaren as well as former team Renault.