News, Mekies 'debuts' in AlphaTauri: “Thank you Ferrari, special family”

A new chapter begins

Last July the experience was definitively concluded Laurent Mekies in Ferrari, with the former Sports Director of Red absent from the Belgian GP onwards. Even before the interruption of the relationship with the Maranello company, the 46-year-old Frenchman had in the meantime reached an agreement withAlphaTauri in April, officially becoming the new Team Principal of the Faenza team for the 2024 season.

The past in Faenza

Now, once the fireworks that welcomed the new year are over, Mekies' role in AlphaTauri has definitively begun. In this way, the transalpine engineer takes over from Franz Tostwho after 17 years left the Faenza team, concluding his experience in Formula 1. For Mekies, however, this is not the first absolute experience in AlphaTauri: following the acquisition of Minardi by Red Bull, and with the renaming of the team in Toro Rosso in 2006was in fact promoted to the role of chief engineer, only to then leave the team in 2014 to become FIA ​​Safety Director. In the following years, before joining Ferrari in 2018, he also became supervisor of the Halo project, and then took on the role of Deputy Race Director of F1.

Thanks to Ferrari

From this month Mekies is therefore Team Principal of AlphaTauri, with the engineer who greeted his new role by publishing a message on his profile LinkedIn first thanking Ferrari: “As my chapter in Rossa comes to an end, it's time to thank everyone at Scuderia Ferrari for five unforgettable years – he wrote – we went through ups and downs together, we fought every day and we gave everything we could. My head and heart are full of incredible memories, which I will cherish for the rest of my life. To all the amazing people at Scuderia Ferrari and the incredible fans, a huge thank you for everything we experienced together and for your passionate and unconditional support.”

The first words from Team Principal

Following, however, are the first words from the AlphaTauri Team Principal in view of the next championship: “A new adventure begins now, and it is with a great sense of gratitude that I pass from one very special family to another equally special. I am embarking on an exciting journeya new chapter to write together, and I look forward to working alongside the talented people of Faenza and Bicester.”