Italian automotive executive Luca de Meo, who is currently the CEO of Renault, has dismissed rumors suggesting that he might take on a similar role at Ferrari, stating that they are merely speculations. In a recent interview for the Italian media, the Chief Executive Officer of Renault S.A. and Chairman of Renault s.a.s clarified that he has never had close ties with the Ferrari team.
The Maranello team has faced difficulties this championship in their battle to be the best team behind the dominant Red Bull, with Mercedes and Aston Martin also competing for podium finishes alongside the Scuderia and many times even appearing in a better position as compared to the Italian side, as was the case with Mercedes in the Spanish Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton finishing 20 seconds ahead of the first Ferrari SF-23 car of Carlos Sainz.
Frederic Vasseur, the team principal, is still relatively new in his position after moving to Maranello from Alfa Romeo. The status of Ferrari team principal is widely regarded as one of the most demanding roles in Formula 1 given the fact that it carries the weight of the sport’s largest global fanbase and the expectations of the Italian nation on a race-by-race basis. The Tifosi had high expectations for the 2023 Formula 1 campaign after Ferrari started last season in a positive manner, but failed to capitalize on the strong performance of the F1-75 car.
Luca de Meo, the Renault boss who currently is in charge of the Alpine operation in Formula 1, has recently faced public criticism from Laurent Rossi, the CEO of Alpine, regarding the team’s performances in this start of the season. Laurent Rossi referred to them as “amateurish” and “unacceptable” a few weeks ago.
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During his visit to Spain to observe the team’s performance, Luca de Meo was asked about speculation from Italy linking him to a potential move to a similar position at Ferrari. However, he swiftly dismissed the speculation.
“Formula 1 is growing rapidly thanks to the extraordinary work of another important Italian in Stefano Domenicali,” Luca de Meo stated in a recent interview for Italian radio station Rai – “Am I close to Ferrari? In the past it was just rumours. I admire [Luca di] Montezemolo a lot, but in fact I’ve never been close to Ferrari.” – he concluded.
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