Ferrari has announced that the team’s Racing Director Laurent Mekies’ will leave his position with immediate effect ahead of the 2023 Belgian GP.
Mekies has been with the team for four and a half years and leaves the Italian outfit as he readies for his forthcoming position as AlphaTauri‘s team principal in the approaching year.
AlphaTauri disclosed in April that Mekies was the chosen successor for Franz Tost as team principal in the subsequent year, however, the exact departure date from Ferrari remained unspecified.
Despite the forthcoming change, Mekies maintained his responsibilities as sporting director up until the recent Hungarian GP. He is now slated to depart from Ferrari before the race at Spa-Francorchamps commences this weekend.
“Laurent Mekies’ time at Scuderia Ferrari comes to an end this week. 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,” Ferrari said in a statement
“The entire team thanks him for his great contribution during those years.
“As from the Belgian Grand Prix, part of Laurent’s duties on the pitwall will be carried out by Diego Ioverno, who takes on the role of Sporting Director. He will be responsible for all sporting matters, as well as liaising with the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile).
“Ioverno is a veteran member of the Scuderia having worked in Maranello for the past 23 years. Along with his colleagues on the pitwall, Matteo Togninalli, Head of Track Engineering and Ravin Jain, Race Strategist, he will report directly to Team Principal, Fred Vasseur.”
