Ferrari’s F1 Design Chief Moves To Alfa Romeo Sauber As Technical Director

When Sauber signed with Alfa Romeo for its Formula One engines, it didn’t just gain a new sponsor: it also brought with it a heightened level of cooperation with Ferrari. And now it’s picked up one of the Scuderia’s most senior engineers as its new technical director.

One of the top technical talents in F1, Simone Resta started out with Minardi in 1998 and has been with Ferrari since 2001. His most recent title was head of vehicle project coordination, but has been the Scuderia’s de facto chief designer since 2014.

As technical director, he’ll be the second top dog at the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 team, reporting directly to team principal Frédéric Vasseur. He’ll take up the new role on July 1.

“Simone Resta has the best profile to take on the role of Technical Director,” said Vasseur. “His arrival at Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team marks a significant step ahead of a long term project that aims at strengthening the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team in order to achieve ambitious results.”

The Swiss team has run under Ferrari power for most of its history. After joining the grid in 1993, it started using Ferrari engines, rebranded by Malaysian oil giant Petronas, in ’97, and kept using them through 2005 when the team was bought by BMW. After the Bavarian automaker exited in 2010, it returned to Ferrari engines and has been running them ever since.

The team has struggled to regain the form it displayed under BMW’s patronage, however, finishing in ninth place in the standings last season. With Resta on board, and increased collaboration with Maranello, its chances of advancing up the field look better than ever.