New F1 team boss reveals lucky break before start of 2024 season

There will be a change at the top of one outfit on the grid next year

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Tuesday 5 December 2023 14:57 Updated: 16:38

AlphaTauri's new Formula 1 team principal Laurent Mekies has insisted that his enforced break from the sport since leaving Ferrari has been a slice of luck.

Mekies will take the helm at AlphaTauri officially in January when his time at Ferrari as sporting director comes to an end later this month.

The 46-year-old has not been working for Ferrari in an official capacity since the summer break, with gardening leave causing a prolonged absence from the sport.

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Teaming up alongside CEO Peter Bayer following Franz Tost's retirement from F1, the pair will lead Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda in their 2024 season charge.

And despite not being able to get stuck in at AlphaTauri straight away, Mekies has now realised that the break between moving teams is a blessing in disguise.

Franz Tost bid farewell to AlphaTauri at the end of the 2023 season

Daniel Ricciardo (L) and Yuki Tsunoda (R) will remain as the team's two drivers in 2024

Mekies: F1 break a slice of luck

"At the very beginning, when I realised I had to wait all these months, it was a bit frustrating," he said (via Motorsport.com). "Because you want to jump straight away and think how you can contribute and support.

"But the truth is if you have gone from a job to another straight away, you will probably be taken straight away by the intensity of the racing calendar, by the day-to-day decisions that you have to make.

"So it's been actually quite a great luck to have to step back, to have to look perhaps at the bigger picture, to have a chance to think on how you want to do a lot of things. It could be all about finding great people there.

"It's really what is our sport now. It's the people, it's the people-to-people. And that's very much what I'm looking forward to start with again.

"I'm very, very fortunate to come from an incredible racing family and going to another incredible racing family. So very, very grateful."