How two ex-Ferrari high F1 engineers share duties at Mercedes

Final summer season, for the primary time in 23 years, Simone Resta had the chance to take care of his backyard.

Not that this was a precedence, since Resta had a extra urgent process forward: arranging a transfer to the UK, the place he was to hitch Mercedes as strategic improvement director. That transfer was introduced in March final 12 months, simply two months after he returned to Maranello from a secondment at Haas.

Resta started work at Mercedes in October and his job title was subsequently revised to ‘deputy technical director’, a change which mistakenly aroused a lot pleasure amongst those that mine LinkedIn for ‘information’ in the course of the low season. His direct boss is James Allison, making this a reunion of types since they labored collectively at Ferrari throughout Allison’s two earlier stints in Maranello.

In 2000 Allison moved to Ferrari within the then-new position of trackside aerodynamicist after falling out of favour at Benetton.

He moved again to Enstone below a brand new possession regime as deputy technical director in 2005 however had loved the Italian lifestyle, such that he went again to Ferrari in 2013, remaining there for 3 years till he returned to the UK after his spouse handed away unexpectedly.

Resta was a long-time Ferrari man, becoming a member of in 2013 as a junior designer and dealing his means up the ranks earlier than being seconded to companion groups, first Sauber after which Haas, as technical director. Whereas taking a deputy position might be learn as a step down, Mercedes is a a lot bigger group so a thicker layer of administration is required.

“Initially, my job is to be in shut contact with James and with the complete technical group,” Resta mentioned in an unique interview with Motorsport.com Italy. “James is the technical director, I’m his deputy, and in some methods we’ve got divided the duties; he has the general imaginative and prescient of the complete technical half and focuses primarily on the 2026 undertaking, whereas I’m dedicating myself to 2025, so extra on short- or medium-term issues, but additionally on longer-term strategic ones.

“I’m referring to issues that transcend subsequent 12 months by way of growing abilities and technical infrastructures. It’s about adapting all work processes to the evolution of F1.”

Simone Resta alongside George Russell, Mercedes

Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Pictures by way of Getty Pictures

Resta wasn’t anticipated to start out work at Mercedes till the start of 2025, nevertheless it’s understood that an association was reached between Brackley and Maranello final summer season over the gardening go away interval of efficiency director Loic Serra, who was recruited from Mercedes by Ferrari in the course of 2023. Till that time, Mercedes had meant to maintain Serra attending to his petunias till his contract expired this January.

As a substitute, each males had been in a position to take up their new positions final October. Allison is believed to fee Resta extremely.

“James and I’ve an important working relationship, and we divide our duties effectively,” mentioned Resta. “I focus extra on the general automotive improvement and the mixing of recent applied sciences, whereas James is vital in main the design and aerodynamics groups.

“The way in which we method our roles at Mercedes may be very complementary. Our previous expertise at Ferrari offers us a robust base, and we all know the right way to work collectively to deal with any problem.

“We met firstly of the 2000s, once I was following the mechanical a part of Ferrari and he was caring for the aerodynamics on the monitor. Then we left one another and met once more on the finish of 2013 when, having returned to Ferrari, he was technical director and I grew to become the chief designer: I need to say that we labored nicely collectively.

“I believe there’s nice mutual respect: he is a superb particular person and an important technician. For me it’s an honour to work with him.”