News
Red Bull/Ferrari “hostage exchange” will not involve F1 senior personnel
Mekies has agreed to leave Ferrari and join AlphaTauri as its new team principal, replacing Franz Tost, who will step down at the end of the year.
But a date for Mekis’ arrival has yet to be set, as he remains under a long-term contract with Ferrari and his release needs to be agreed.
Tost himself said that this matter is likely to need to be resolved by Red Bull and Ferrari.
“First of all, it’s between Laurent and Fred (Vasseur),” Tost said of the sorting process for Mekis’ arrival.
“And then, of course, Red Bull will play a big part in that. I think Oliver Mintzlaff (Red Bull CEO) will then talk to the Ferrari CEO and find a solution.”
Ferrari may be willing to let Mekis leave early if it can find some Red Bull personnel who have already signed but are currently on furlough early, the source said.
Ferrari has also been trying to poach more senior technical staff from its Milton Keynes-based rival, following rumors that it has also been trying to poach more senior technical staff.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19, leader Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-23
Photography: Glenn Dunbar
At the Miami Grand Prix, Horner made it clear that senior Red Bull staff involved with rumored Ferrari – including technical director Pierre Vacci – underscored their total commitment to his team.
And, while he didn’t outright dismiss the possibility of Red Bull and Ferrari reaching an agreement on Mekis, he said it wouldn’t revolve around top brass.
“Will there be a Laurent Mekis hostage exchange?” Horner said. “Well, we have no hostages.
“As far as people moving to Ferrari, certainly senior or mid-level people, there are no plans.
“The people mentioned last week who were connected to Ferrari came to see me and said they didn’t believe some of the rumours.
“But, you know, this is Formula 1 and it will inevitably happen. But there are no plans for any senior member of our team to join Maranello.”
Red Bull has received a boost after its chief technical officer Adrian Newey agreed to extend his contract at the team, as Autosport revealed earlier this week.
Ideally, Fernando Alonso would win the Monaco Grand Prix. However, he quickly relinquished his second-place finish after the race, which is Aston Martin’s best finish of the season so far. The Spanish driver was in a good mood and spontaneously decided to join the Red Bull Racing Team for a group photo.
But with Sergio Perez nowhere to be seen in comparison, what went wrong? How did Esteban Ocon achieve such great results? Can Aston Martin really fight for the title if Lance Stroll can’t keep up with Alonso?
Martyn Lee sat down with Matt Kew live in Monaco to answer these questions and more.
The weekend in Monaco has not been a dream weekend for Ferrari, but Frederic Vassell is trying to stay positive after Sunday’s race. Carlos Sainz’s spin and dropping some points was unfortunate for the team boss and Maranello, but he doesn’t blame his driver for it.
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