The exodus from Ferrari continues. After various departures, including Mattia Binotto, Davide Sanchez, and Inaki Rueda (who has not left the Italian side, but has been demoted to a marginel role in Maranello), it now seems that Laurent Mekies is also close to leaving Ferrari. In the case of the Frenchman, currently the “Racing Director” of the Scuderia, there is no official confirmation, but it seems that his future will be far from Maranello, although still in Italy.
Laurent Mekies, according to the Italian daily newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, is indeed destined to move to AlphaTauri. A return to the Red Bull universe for the Frenchman, who began his career at Minardi, which later became Toro Rosso.
A premeditated departure tp become team principal:
That Laurdent Mekies wanted to leave Maranello was no secret. The Frenchman had already explored the possibility of moving to a new team immediately after the departure of Mattia Binotto, and not even the arrival of Frederic Vasseur, a friend since their time in high school for aeronautical engineering, made him to change his mind. The decision of the Ferrari management not to consider him as Mattia Binotto’s successor is likely to have weighed heavily on the Frenchman’s decision.
If the rumors are confirmed, Laurent Mekies’ move to AlphaTauri could take place even during the current season. Alternatively, the transfer will be completed in 2024.
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The Frenchman will initially work alongside Franz Tost, the historical team principal of the Faenza-based team. Tost has already expressed his intention to leave Formula 1 within three years, and Laurent Mekies’ arrival is certainly a choice in perspective for the team. It is no secret that the Frenchman aspires to a leadership role, and at the same time, a possible promotion to Team Principal could represent the right handover in view of the regulatory revolution of 2026.
As part of their ongoing restructuring process, AlphaTauri recently confirmed the signing of Lars Stegelmann, who joined as the team’s Head of Commercial last month.
