Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna’s “cumbersome” approach a key factor in racing director Laurent Mekies’ desire to leave – Report

Laurent Mekies, who reportedly wants to leave Ferrari, is apparently not a fan of the "cumbersome" approach Benedetto Vigna has taken at the racing divison.

Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna’s “cumbersome” approach a key factor in racing director Laurent Mekies’ desire to leave – Report

Ferrari racing director Laurent Mekies (L) | Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna (R)

There have been many rumors coming out of Ferrari since the end of the Bahrain Grand Prix. There, Charles Leclerc retired, and the SF-23 showed disappointing pace and tire degradation. If these rumors are to be believed: Clearly, they are not good news for the Tifosi. Most concern internal discontentment, the departure of certain key figures, and the possibility of more leaving.

Leclerc apparently sought a meeting with Ferrari President John Elkann, as the prospect of not competing for the title in 2023 was seen as “unacceptable” to him. He also wanted some “reassurances”. There is also the departure of David Sanchez, head of vehicle concept, who looks to be on his way to McLaren. Gino Rosato and Jonathan Giacobazzi have also left the Formula 1 team. There are reports that the new team principal, Frederic Vasseur, may already be frustrated.

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Why? Because he apparently has less power than other team principals. Corriere della Sera had reported that Ferrari’s racing director, Laurent Mekies, also tried to leave, and go work in Formula One Management. But apparently, the move had been ‘vetoed’ by Vasseur. These latter two reports also concern Ferrari’s CEO, Benedetto Vigna. Apparently, Vigna is more hands-on than even Mekies want. The latter, according to formul1a.uno, finds Vigna’s approach “cumbersome”.

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Read More: Ferrari F1 racing director Laurent Mekies also seeking an exit amid other major figures’ departures – Report

Ferrari’s Laurent Mekies wants to report to Frederic Vasseur, not Benedetto Vigna

Ferrari racing director Laurent Mekies
Ferrari racing director Laurent Mekies

Laurent Mekies is not the only figure whose future is uncertain, of course. There’s also Enrico Cardile, Ferrari’s head of chassis area. There may be others too, and more departures shouldn’t be ruled out. As for Mekies, who according to formu1a.uno, has offers from Alpine, Liberty Media, and the FIA, the main issue is the CEO’s current approach. But a departure is…complicated – because of his current contract.

The report states that Vigna took over “Gestione Sportiva” (the racing division) very easily, which means he’s calling all the shots. Vasseur, who is technically the team principal, is more like a “sporting director”. As for how this affects Mekies – the Frenchman would rather report directly to Vasseur rather than Vigna. The “management powers” within the racing division, rest with the Italian.

Vasseur, who arrived in Bahrain with his friend Toto Wolff, also often speaks to the ousted Mattia Binotto. The first thing did go down well in Maranello, but the second was not “fully appreciated” by Vigna, who had pushed for Binotto’s departure. It’ll be interesting to see how fare this weekend in Jeddah, considering there may be a lot of internal turmoil there. Perhaps if they get a good result there, it would lift the team and alleviate the tension.

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