Official: Laurent Mekies to leave Ferrari and replace Franz Tost as AlphaTauri team principal

AlphaTauri looks to the future: Laurent Mekies and Bayer to join the team
We had previously reported the news that AlphaTauri would sign Laurent Mekies from Ferrari. There is now the official confirmation that Faenza will now be the home of the current Scuderia’s Sporting Director, who will replace Franz Tost as the new team principal. AlphaTauri has not specified when this change will take place, except that the Austrian will leave his current role at the end of 2023 to take on advisory roles in 2024. It is therefore likely that Laurent Mekies will be the new team principal starting next year: it will be a return to Faenza for him, where he worked first as a race engineer and then as chief engineer and head of vehicle performance.

But Laurent Mekies – who was defined as a pillar just a month ago by Frederic Vasseur – will not be the only new addition. AlphaTauri has also announced the arrival – this time already in 2023 – of Peter Bayer as the new CEO. The new CEO has recently held the position of Executive Director of F1 and Secretary General for Motorsports at the FIA: he will oversee the team’s strategic direction at the Faenza and UK facilities.

Incoming Scuderia AlphaTauri Team Principal Laurent Mekies said: “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. 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. 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.”

Incoming Scuderia AlphaTauri CEO Peter Bayer said: “I would also like to thank Franz for his dedication to Scuderia AlphaTauri and its predecessor, Scuderia Toro Rosso. His commitment to developing young talent has resulted in a Formula 1 grid where 25% of the drivers have benefited from his guidance. It is a great privilege for me, too, to take on the role of CEO at the Team and working alongside Laurent. Scuderia AlphaTauri has a fantastic team of people and great infrastructure in Faenza and in the UK. I am very much looking forward to building on those key elements to increase performance, on an off track, and to bring the Team even more success in the coming years.”

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Oliver Mintzlaff, Chief Executive of Corporate Projects and Investments, Red Bull GmbH said: “Firstly, I would like to thank Franz Tost for his hard work at Scuderia AlphaTauri and Scuderia Toro Rosso over the past 18 years. Throughout his time at the team Franz has been driven by a singular vision – the pursuit of ever more performance from machine and from driver. His leadership resulted in outstanding victories and in the development of some of the finest talents ever seen in Formula 1. Replacing him as he steps back has not been easy and has resulted in a redefinition of the management structure at the Team. I am therefore very pleased to welcome Peter Bayer as CEO and Laurent Mekies as Team Principal. Both have huge experience in top positions in Formula 1 and together I am sure they will take Scuderia AlphaTauri to even greater heights in the future.”