Mekies shopping for Ferrari F1 talent - report

There are fears at Ferrari that Laurent Mekies is now instigating an exodus of staff to the similarly Italian-based Alpha Tauri team.

Mekies, who had previously worked at Red Bull’s second Formula 1 team, was re-poached by Alpha Tauri to replace its retiring boss Franz Tost for 2024.

The 46-year-old Frenchman had risen the ranks at Maranello to become deputy team boss and sporting director, and is therefore now perfectly placed to woo Ferrari staff to Faenza-based Alpha Tauri.

The latest, according to Corriere dello Sport, is Marco Matassa.

"The FDA academy has passed into the hands of Jock Clear ad interim, and now we anticipate the destination of the long-haired engineer (Matassa) to be Alpha Tauri," reported correspondent Fulvio Solms.

"Now we really need the Scuderia to react."

Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur insists he is doing just that.

"Eighty people will arrive," he is quoted as saying, "half to replace those leaving, to strengthen the Scuderia."

The Frenchman, however, has been very quiet about the actual names of those set to arrive at Ferrari - like Loic Serra, arriving from Mercedes but not set to end his gardening leave until the end of this year.

"I won’t mention names," Vasseur insists. "I don’t like naming names."

Correspondent Solms claims that departures aside, there are "positive" sounds emerging from Maranello, including rumours of a big 7 tenths performance leap over 2023.

Corriere della Sera newspaper reports that Vassuer will oversee a lower-profile than usual 2024 car launch on February 13.