Ferrari names new sporting director as Mekies leaves team

©Ferrari

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Ferrari sporting director Laurent Mekies has officially left the Italian outfit, with Scuderia veteran and former chief engineer Diego Ioverno taking over the Frenchman's duties.

The House of Maranello announced back in April that Mekies would leave Ferrari and move to AlphaTauri to replace long-standing team boss Franz Tost from 2024.

As well as Mekies taking over Tost's role, AlphaTauri has also appointed former FIA executive Peter Bayer as the squad's CEO.

Ahead of the summer, there was uncertainty over when Mekies would relinquish his responsibilities with Ferrari and the duration of his period of gardening leave.

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But discussions between Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur and his Red Bull counterpart Christian Horner have reportedly led to an agreement by which Mekies would leave the team ahead of this weekend's the Belgian Grand Prix and start his tenure with AlphaTauri on 1 January 2024.

"Laurent Mekies' time at Scuderia Ferrari comes to an end this week," Ferrari announced on Thursday.

"The Racing Director will not be in Belgium and he leaves the Prancing Horse after four and a half seasons, during which time the team took seven wins.

"The entire team thanks him for his great contribution during those years."

©Ferrari

Mekies’ exit from Ferrari marks the second big name to leave Maranello this year, with the Scuderia’s former designer and head of Vehicle Concept David Sanchez resigning to join McLaren at the start of 2024.

Ferrari confirmed that part of Mekies' duties have been taken over by Diego Ioverno who will be present on the Scuderia's pitwall this weekend at Spa.

"As from the Belgian Grand Prix, part of Laurent's duties on the pitwall will be carried out by Diego Loverno, who takes on the role of Sporting Director," Ferrari added.

"He will be responsible for all sporting matters, as well as liaising with the FIA.

"Along with his colleagues on the pitwall, Matteo Togninalli, Head of Track Engineering and Ravin Jain, Race Strategist, he will report directly to team principal, Fred Vasseur."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.