Former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo has been appointed as a director of McLaren Group Holdings Limited, the company that holds a stake in its Formula 1 operations.
The Italian was named as one of nine directors on the board for the company, which has a minority stake in the McLaren Automotive organisation, which oversees its F1 team.
McLaren’s overall operations have seen a change over the last few months, with Abu Dhabi-based investment firm CYVN Holdings completing a takeover of McLaren Automotive two months ago.
Some of di Montezemolo’s fellow directors include Nick Collins, a former executive at Jaguar Land Rover and Ford, and McLaren Group’s chairman, Paul Walsh.
Di Montezemolo, 77, first joined the Italian marque in 1973 as an assistant to Enzo Ferrari.
After a spell running the racing operations at FIAT, its chairman, Gianni Agnelli, appointed di Montezemolo the president of Ferrari in 1991, the team having failed to win a Drivers’ Championship in 12 years, and a Constructors’ Championship in eight years.
The team at a low ebb, di Montezemolo appointed Jean Todt to a leading role in the team, and by the mid-90s, had built an F1 super group, comprised of designer Rory Byrne and strategy guru Ross Brawn.
Completed by Michael Schumacher behind the wheel, the team went on to enjoy its most successful period in F1.
Between 1999 and 2004, the team took successive Constructors’ Championships, with Michael Schumacher leading the charge, who began a five-season title streak in 2000.
Di Montezemolo resigned in 2014, bringing to an end a 23-year stint in charge, after a fraught relationship with FIAT chief Sergio Marchionne, his would-be successor.
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