Ferrari set to be boosted by signing of “top” Mercedes engineer

Ferrari have reportedly poached Mercedes’ performance director Loic Serra in a boost to their F1 recovery hopes.

22 Jul 2023

Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP) Ferrari SF-23. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 12, Hungarian Grand Prix, Budapest, Hungary, — Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP) Ferrari SF-23. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 12…

Ferrari team principal Fred Vassuer revealed at the Canadian Grand Prix that the Italian outfit had recruited a “top guy” who will “work on the car in 2025 and 2026”.

The news was first reported by Italian outfit Formu1a.uno and has since been backed up by Motorsport.com.

Serra’s arrival will act as a major boost to Ferrari after the announcement of several high-profile departures at Maranello.

Ferrari are losing David Sanchez to McLaren next year, while sporting director Laurent Mekies begins gardening leave on July 31 before taking over as AlphaTauri’s new team principal in 2024.

Ferrari were unsuccessful in an attempt to prize technical director Pierre Wache away from Red Bull, according to the same report by Formu1a.uno.

Serra started out as a tyre engineer for Michelin before joining BMW Sauber’s F1 team as head of vehicle performance.

In 2010, the Frenchman joined Mercedes, initially as chief engineer of vehicle engineering.

Serra rose through the ranks at the German manufacturer and was promoted to his current position of performance director in 2018.