Laurent Mekies, the future director of AlphaTauri, is delighted with the free time he had before joining the Italian team
Laurent Mekies will become the team principal of AlphaTauri, whose name will change, starting from January 1st next year. The Frenchman has taken advantage of a break, being put on "paid leave" by Ferrari since last summer.
After 18 seasons as team principal of Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri, Franz Tost has retired. This decision was announced at the beginning of this season, along with the name of his replacement, Laurent Mekies, who comes from Ferrari. The Frenchman will assume his duties on January 1st next year, after being placed on “paid leave” by the Italian team during the summer.
The former race director of Ferrari reflected on his break from F1, just before the Autosports Awards ceremony last weekend. « At first, when I realized that I had to wait all these months, it was a bit frustrating », remembers Mekies.
However, he draws positives from his time away from F1. « So I was very lucky to step back, look at the situation as a whole, and reflect on how you want to do a lot of things, with great people out there. Because that’s what our sport is today. It’s the people, it’s the interpersonal relationships. I’m very, very happy to come from an incredible racing family and go into another incredible racing family. I am truly, truly grateful », rejoices the Frenchman.
« We need to start right away and think about how we can contribute and support something. But the truth is that when you move from one job to another, you run the risk of being immediately swept away by the intensity of the racing schedule and the daily decisions you have to make », concluded Laurent Mekies.
The future of Red Bull’s ‘B-Team’ with Laurent Mekies
Franz Tost, director of Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri since 2006, is delighted with the arrival of the Frenchman at the helm of the team and knows that he will be surrounded by the right people to take over the reins. « Peter Bayer has been with us since June and we have worked closely together. He now has a much better understanding of the team, and he has a lot of experience. He knows Formula 1. And Laurent Mekies has already worked with us anyway. He knows the team from the past. I think these two people are absolutely the right ones to take over the team. And I expect them to take the team to another level because they both have a lot of experience », Franz Tost stated positively.
Christian Horner, director of the Red Bull team, highlights the fact that Laurent Mekies already knows the team and the environment of the Austrian group. « Laurent Mekies has already worked with us. He knows the team from the past. I think that these two people are absolutely the right people to take over the team. And I expect them to take the team to another level because they both have a lot of experience. I am confident that they will announce their new name next year at the right time, when Franz’s chapter is finished. Peter and Laurent Mekies have ambitious plans for the team’s development », believes Christian Horner.
