The departure of Mekies will complicate things at Ferrari

Announced last week, Ferrari’s number two, Laurent Mekies, is set to leave the Italian team he joined in 2018. This departure is likely to harm Frederic Vasseur’s team, who will have to weather the storm and quickly rebuild. Just a few months after Mattia Binotto’s departure, Ferrari will once again have to deal with a change in its organizational structure.

The sports director of the Italian racing team is returning to AlphaTauri, the team he left in 2014 after joining them in 2003. But for Ferrari, it is a void to fill. Laurent Mekies had great importance within the team. As the sports director, track and performance area manager, the Frenchman also held the position of race director since 2021.

A departure that will weigh

Ferrari will have to recruit to compensate for the departure of Laurent Mekies. Even if Frederic Vasseur sees an opportunity to bounce back, this loss is expected to weaken the red team. The Frenchman fulfilled his many roles and showed potential for the future of the team after the (relative) failure of the 2022 season.

« For us, it’s a fresh start, an opportunity also to implement a new organization, and I take it as such, » said Frédéric Vasseur upon the announcement of this departure. But in reality, this loss should weaken the Scuderia.

Laurent Mekies was involved in car development with his extensive experience. But Ferrari’s biggest problem is the design of the 2024 car. The Scuderia will have to hide the elements of this new race car to prevent Laurent Mekies from drawing inspiration for the AlphaTauri car.

In addition to the native of Tours, another departure should be expected at Ferrari. The head of car design, David Sanchez, will return to McLaren. The aerodynamics specialist, who joined Ferrari in 2012, is leaving the Maranello factory. This is also a significant loss for the Scuderia, which will have to quickly find a replacement to continue the development of its car.