Cadillac hires former Red Bull key figure, but Alpine blocks the move for now

By securing Craig Skinner, former chief designer at Red Bull Racing, Cadillac pulled off a major coup. A figure this successful typically draws interest from several teams as soon as he becomes available. GPblog reported a few weeks ago that Alpine also tried to sign Skinner, but that Cadillac ultimately landed him.

That latter point has now been confirmed by the American team. The intention is for Skinner to start his duties on November 18. Whether he will actually begin work on that date with the team of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, however, remains to be seen.

This website understands that Skinner had previously signed a legally binding employment contract with Alpine, after which Cadillac made him a counteroffer that he accepted. The French team now insists that the move to the newest team on the grid can only happen once a contractually agreed period has elapsed. In other words: Skinner will be required to sit at home for the time being.

In Formula 1, it is common for that transition period to be between six and 12 months. The coming weeks will therefore reveal whether a legal tussle unfolds around Skinner or whether another solution emerges, a financial settlement for instance. In any case, GPblog understands that Cadillac does not expect any problems in the near future.

Earlier in the day, Cadillac announced that it had not only secured Skinner; Eric Blandin and Tim Lean have also joined the team. Blandin arrives with over eleven years of experience as head of aerodynamics at Mercedes and as deputy technical director at Aston Martin F1. He will lead the team’s aerodynamics department and report to Nick Chester.

Lean will head the Aerodynamics Modelling and Simulation department, which focuses on aerodynamic modeling and simulations. "These appointments represent a vital step in the technical evolution of the team," said Marcin Budkowski, Cadillac’s team principal.