Ferrari has taken a leaf out of Renault’s playbook by signing FIA safety director Laurent Mekies [left] to their technical team, with his arrival set for September.
Last year, the French manufacturer caused an uproar among their fellow teams after taking on the then-technical director at the governing body Marcin Budkowsky with a compromise later reached which will see him join the Enstone outfit in April.
The reason why the employment of FIA officials is controversial is that rivals are concerned the secrets and knowledge of their cars could be passed on to the team who takes them on board, which is why Renault and Budkowsky agreed to an extended period of gardening leave before starting his new role.
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Those worries may be reduced as Mekies will be joining Ferrari in six months time and, as the FIA revealed: “Until his departure from the FIA at the end of June, Mekies will continue to act as the FIA safety director.
“However he will immediately cease all F1 duties and will no longer be involved in any F1 matter, stepping down from his role as a deputy F1 race director with immediate effect.”
In his new position which has not been named by the Italian team, all that is known is that Mekies will be reporting to the technical director Mattia Binotto.
