FIA safety director Mekies to join Ferrari 

FIA safety director and deputy Formula 1 race director Laurent Mekies will leave his position to take up a technical role at Ferrari. 

Starting his new position in September this year, Mekies will report to Ferrari’s technical director Mattia Binotto as the Italian squad looks to bolster its technical department. 

Mekies joined the FIA as safety director in 2014 and helped oversee the introduction of the Halo cockpit protection device to F1 for 2018, before replacing Herbie Blash as race director Charlie Whiting’s right-hand man for the 2017 season. 

The former chief engineer at Toro Rosso is set to continue to act as safety director with the FIA until June, but has stepped down from his role as deputy race director with immediate effect. 

The move will likely prove a contentious one, given the controversy surrounding Renault's signing of FIA technical chief Marcin Budkowski last year, which prompted an outcry from rival teams over concerns technical secrets could be taken to teams.