10/03/2023
NEWS STORY
David Sanchez, Ferrari's head of vehicle concept, has reportedly left the team though it is unclear why.
However, as opposed to being the victim of one of the Maranello team's infamous reshuffles, paddock speculation is that he received an offer he couldn't refuse from a rival team.
The Frenchman began his career in F1 with Renault as an aerodynamicist in 2005, subsequently joining McLaren in 2008 as Aerodynamics Team Leader.
In 2013 he joined Ferrari as Principal Aerodynamicist, before being promoted to the role of Chief Aerodynamicist in 2016.
Working alongside James Allison and Simone Resta, he was a key player as Ferrari sought to make up lost ground at the start of the hybrid era, subsequently taking on even more responsibility during the period that the team was without an official technical director.
Having seemingly resigned, his departure will leave Ferrari lacking a significant technical figure at a time the team is still struggling to deal with the various issues raised in 2022 and which, according to last week's evidence, appear unresolved.
Other than the question of who Ferrari might replace him with is where exactly Sanchez is heading, especially with a number of teams requiring a 'helping hand' at this time. Having previously worked with Andrea Stella at Ferrari, it is entirely possible that Sanchez could return to McLaren.