Pat Symonds to step down as Formula 1 Technical Director

Pat Symonds has been part of the Formula 1 organization since 2017, working within a team that has shaped the technical regulations of the Grand Prix to improve the races.

In addition to contributing to the regulations for the new 2022 ground-effect era, he was also involved in creating the new cars planned for 2026. However, with the almost finalization of the chassis regulations for these future cars, which are set to be published at the beginning of next month, Symonds decided some time ago to leave the F1 organization.

Although there has been no official announcement, it has been reported that F1 personnel were informed of this news on Monday. It had long been planned that the completion of the 2026 regulations would be the perfect time for Symonds to end his involvement in F1. Indeed, he had been discussing his departure for some time.

It is uncertain what Symonds plans to do next, but as he approaches his 71st birthday, he may consider it the perfect time to step away from a daily job. A few years ago, once the 2022 rules were in place, Symonds briefly considered retiring before ultimately deciding to continue for the next set of rules. However, the fact that he has been put on leave also suggests that he is not looking to permanently distance himself from F1 and that he intends to move elsewhere.

Symonds has had a long career in Grand Prix racing, starting out at Toleman, which later became Benetton. He played a significant role in the team’s success in the 1990s with Michael Schumacher. After leaving the Renault team following the controversy of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, he had stints at Virgin and Williams before returning to F1.