Mercedes has acquired the services of two senior Ferrari engineers as it bids to recover from a turbulent recent period in Formula 1, according to multiple reports.
Autosport has learnt Ferrari’s ex-Chief Designer Simone Resta will become Mercedes’ Strategic Development Director to work with Technical Director James Allison.
Associated with Ferrari since 2001, Resta served as the marque’s Chief Designer between 2014 and 2018 before a spell heading Alfa Romeo’s technical department.
Having returned to Ferrari in 2019, Resta assumed the role of Haas Technical Director in 2021 as part of the American side’s strengthened alliance with the Italian outfit.
But amid Haas’ plight in recent seasons, it was announced that Resta’s loan arrangement had been cut short prior to the news Guenther Steiner had not been retained.
Resta, who had been linked with a move to Red Bull’s rebranded second squad, will be accompanied in his move by Ferrari’s Driver Simulator Team Leader Enrico Sampo.
Sampo will take on the role of Head of Performance Software at Mercedes amid the outfit’s revelation that it has a “fundamental” correlation issue with its W15 car.
However, both Resta and Sampo will be unable to begin work with the German marque until 2025 once their respective periods of gardening leave have been completed.
This latest switch between Ferrari and Mercedes comes at a time when the Italian outfit had been on an aggressive recruitment drive from several of its rivals on the grid.
Ferrari had prized Loic Serra before also recruiting Lewis Hamilton for 2025, while Mercedes Driver Development Director Jerome D’Ambrosio is set to move to Maranello.
But heading into the regulation overhaul in 2026, Mercedes has confirmed Team Principal Toto Wolff and Allison have signed long-term contracts to remain in their roles.
With Serra’s impending departure from the position of Performance Director, Mercedes has named David Nelson as his replacement as its new Senior Vehicle Dynamicist.
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