Veteran engineer Pat Symonds has left his function as Formulation 1’s chief technical officer to affix the Andretti Cadillac F1 programme.
The 70-year-old, a former technical boss of the Renault and Williams groups, will grow to be Andretti’s government engineering marketing consultant as soon as he has accomplished his backyard depart from F1.
No date has been made public.
Andretti’s bid to affix the grid in 2025 or 2026 was rejected by F1 in January.
F1 mentioned it might rethink the US-based firm’s bid as soon as backers Cadillac, a part of automobile large Normal Motors, had accomplished its promised F1 energy unit in time for the 2028 season.
F1, the game’s industrial rights holder, has declined to touch upon the transfer.
Andretti International chief government officer Michael Andretti mentioned: “We could not be extra excited to welcome Pat to the Andretti household.
“Pat’s eager understanding of aerodynamics, car dynamics and F1 energy models might be instrumental as we proceed to construct a aggressive staff.
“I consider his experience has been pivotal in shaping the narrative of F1 and his vote of confidence in becoming a member of our effort speaks volumes.”
Andretti’s F1 technical director Nick Chester mentioned: “I’ve had the pleasure to work with Pat up to now and he has a wealth of data we will draw upon. He’ll convey experience throughout technical areas and staff operations that can assist us develop the staff.”
Symonds has been F1’s chief technical officer since 2017, and was instrumental together with former managing director Ross Brawn within the creation of the most recent technical laws, which had been launched in 2022.
The intention of those guidelines was to make the sector extra aggressive and the racing nearer. It’s questionable whether or not they have succeeded – Crimson Bull have achieved unprecedented ranges of domination since their introduction.
In latest occasions, Symonds has been working alongside F1’s governing physique the FIA on the brand new technical guidelines that might be launched in 2026. These are set to be revealed on the finish of June.
It had been agreed inside F1 a while in the past that Symonds would step down from his function as soon as his work on the 2026 guidelines was full.
Symonds’ F1 profession began with the Toleman staff in 1981. He stayed with the corporate because it morphed first into Benetton in 1986 after which was taken over by Renault in 2001.
He received world titles there with Michael Schumacher in 1994 and 1995, and Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006.
Symonds, together with then Renault staff principal Flavio Briatore, was banned from the game for 5 years for his involvement within the Singapore Grand Prix scandal of 2008, often known as Crashgate.
Nelson Piquet Jr crashed his automobile intentionally with the settlement of the staff with the intention of serving to his team-mate Alonso, who went on to win the race.
However a French tribunal overturned the ban in 2010 and Symonds and Briatore reached a settlement with the FIA whereby he might return to F1 in 2013.
He labored initially as a marketing consultant of the Virgin staff earlier than becoming a member of Williams as chief technical officer in 2013, after which transferring on to his function with F1.
Andretti is pushing on together with his F1 programme regardless of his rejection, each when it comes to designing an F1 automobile and I pursuing all avenues to safe an entry.
In the meantime, six US senators have requested, exterior the nation’s division of justice and federal commerce fee to look into F1 Administration’s determination to reject Andretti’s bid for entry.
F1 Administration is owned by a US firm, Liberty Media.
