Future AlphaTauri teamboss Mekies will leave Ferrari with immediate effect

Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur's right-hand man, Laurent Mekies, has left Ferrari with immediate effect, the team announces. The Frenchman will be the new team boss of AlphaTauri, Red Bull's sister team, from next year. He will then replace the departing Franz Tost there.

Mekies will leave Ferrari with immediate effect, as he will need to wait at least half a year until he can start at a different racing team, Ferrari announces: "The Racing Director will not be in Belgium and he leaves the Prancing Horse after four and a half seasons, during which time the team took seven wins. The entire team thanks him for his great contribution during those years."

His duties will be taken over by Diego Ioverno, who will be the Italian team's new sporting director from the Belgian Grand Prix onwards. "He will be responsible for all sporting matters, as well as liaising with the FIA. Ioverno is a veteran member of the Scuderia having worked in Maranello for the past 23 years."

AlphaTauri

Mekies will take over the leadership of AlphaTauri from next year. Red Bull's sister team will increase collaboration with the main team and relinquish some of the car development to them. Mekies is familiar with the Italian language and culture, which will aid him in leading the originally Italian team, which is currently still based in Faenza. He will replace the current team principal, Franz Tost, who will depart from the former Toro Rosso at the end of this season. 

Scuderia Ferrari Statement pic.twitter.com/kMpvaEMZrZ

— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) July 27, 2023