Ferrari has announced the appointment of Loïc Serra as its new chassis technical director. Serra, formerly the performance director at Mercedes, will officially join Ferrari on the 1st of October and report directly to team principal Fred Vasseur.
Serra’s move to Ferrari was initially confirmed in the summer of 2023, but due to an extended gardening leave, he has yet to begin his new role at Maranello. He succeeds Enrico Cardile, who vacated the position in July, and will oversee various key technical areas of the team’s chassis operations.
In a statement, Ferrari outlined its refreshed technical structure on the chassis side, with Serra assuming control of several critical departments:
“In this new role, [Serra] will report directly to the team principal, Fred Vasseur. Serra will therefore be responsible for the following departments: Chassis Project Engineering, headed up by Fabio Montecchi; Vehicle Performance, headed up by Marco Adurno; Aerodynamics, headed up by Diego Tondi; Track Engineering, headed up by Matteo Togninalli; and Chassis Operations, headed up by Diego Ioverno, who also continues in the role of Sporting Director.”
Enrico Gualtieri remains in place as the technical director on the power unit side, overseeing the development of Ferrari’s new engines in preparation for the 2026 regulations.
Serra brings a wealth of experience to Ferrari, having entered Formula 1 as an engineer for Michelin before joining BMW Sauber when the tyre manufacturer left the sport at the end of 2006. Following BMW’s withdrawal from F1, Serra transitioned to Mercedes, where he held several key roles in vehicle dynamics, eventually rising to performance director. His contributions were crucial in Mercedes’ dominance during the turbo-hybrid era.
Serra’s arrival at Ferrari is part of a wider technical restructuring spearheaded by team principal Fred Vasseur. After Cardile’s departure, Vasseur briefly took on the technical director responsibilities himself, and he hinted earlier this year that a new structure would be introduced after the summer break. Ferrari’s recent confirmation of Serra’s appointment completes that process.
Cardile, who had been Ferrari’s technical director since 2021, left the team in July to take up a senior technical position at Aston Martin. He will join the Silverstone-based team once his gardening leave period ends, reuniting with technical director Dan Fallows.
Ferrari’s recent technical reshuffle coincides with an encouraging return to form on the track. Charles Leclerc’s victory at the Italian Grand Prix, Ferrari’s home race, provided a much-needed boost to the team. Currently, Ferrari sits in third place in the Constructors’ Championship, with the gap to Red Bull reduced to 39 points as the 2024 season enters its final stages.
