Mekies appointed by Alpha Tauri to succeed Tost who steps down after 2023

Alpha Tauri have announced that Franz Tost will step down as team principal at the end of the season. Laurent Mekies will replace him at a later date, leaving Ferrari. Former FIA executive Peter Bayer will join the team as CEO later this year.

Tost leaves AlphaTauri, Mekies set to take over

The departing Tost thanked the team, and in particular Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz, for the long time he was privileged to spend there. "First of all, I would like to thank Dietrich Mateschitz, who gave me the incredible opportunity to be Team Principal of Scuderia Toro Rosso and Scuderia AlphaTauri for the past 18 years," he said in an AlphaTauri press release.

He continued: "It has been a true privilege to lead the Team for such a long period and a great pleasure to work with so many motivated and skilled people, who share my passion for Formula 1. With 67 years old it is time to hand over and with Peter as new CEO and Laurent as Team Principal, we found two very professional people, who will bring the Team to the next level. I want to thank everyone for the good cooperation."

Mekies, whose departure from Ferrari had been in the air for a while, also let slip. "Firstly, I’d like to pay tribute to Franz for the great job he has done over almost two decades in charge at Faenza. I wish him well for the future and I know that both Peter and I will rely on his input and advice in times to come," said the future Alpha Tauri team boss.

"Looking forward, I am honoured to take on the role of Team Principal and to return to the Team where I spent a large portion of my early career," Mekies continued, referring to his time at Toro Rosso, where he worked as an engineer between 2005 and 2014 before leaving for the FIA and then Ferrari. "Scuderia AlphaTauri has all of the ingredients necessary for greater success in the future and in tandem with Peter I’m looking forward to making that happen," Mekies said.