2007 – Ferrari hero Ross Brawn strikes to Honda
Having performed a key function in each world title received by Michael Schumacher as technical director at Benetton and at Ferrari, Ross Brawn left the Scuderia concurrently the German, in late 2006. One 12 months later, he was appointed as Honda workforce principal, taking up an actual problem in a works outfit that completed eighth within the 2007 constructors’ championship, with simply six factors to its identify.
“The rationale I went there was that Honda had nice amenities – similar to Ferrari and probably greater and stronger,” Brawn advised GP Racing in January 2017. “The assets that they had in Japan and the finances they had been committing was large.
“My considering was that there was clearly one thing fallacious with the organisation if that they had these assets and weren’t reaching their full potential. I wished to have the ability to repair it.
“What had occurred was that the 2 sides of the organisation – powertrain in Japan and chassis within the UK – had come aside and had been blaming one another.”
Ross Brawn, Workforce Principal, Honda Racing F1 Workforce with the RA108
Picture by: Lorenzo Bellanca / Motorsport Pictures
Brawn’s expertise on the top-level Ferrari outfit due to this fact got here in useful.
“After a month or so,” he continued, “once I sat down in entrance of the board they usually requested me what the issues had been, I may say, ‘The engine’s not adequate and the chassis is not adequate, and every group thinks it is the opposite one’s fault. If we do not resist the truth that either side must massively enhance, we’re not going to go anyplace.’
“And so they had been shocked, as a result of they’d had lots of management-level individuals in Japan telling them that the engine was fabulous, and that the one motive they weren’t profitable was that the chassis was no good.”
So Brawn set a transparent timeline: a 12 months to type issues out, a second 12 months with first rate outcomes, and a 3rd 12 months as a title contender.
Honda’s 2008 marketing campaign was equally robust, with Rubens Barrichello’s British Grand Prix podium end a uncommon spotlight. Nevertheless, behind the scenes the squad was onerous at work on the new-for-2009 rules, which it devoted three simultaneous wind tunnel programmes and two design groups to.
Alas, amid the 2008 monetary disaster, Honda determined to drag the plug on its F1 programme. Brawn purchased the workforce for one symbolic pound; the renamed Brawn GP received each championships in 2009, with Jenson Button profitable the drivers’ title – one 12 months sooner than Brawn had even deliberate.
2009 – Crashgate scandal pushes Flavio Briatore out at Renault
Nelson Piquet Jr., Renault F1 Workforce R28 crashes into the wall
Picture by: Sutton Pictures
When it emerged in August 2009 that the Renault workforce requested Nelson Piquet Jr to crash within the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, inflicting a security automotive intervention and paving the way in which for Fernando Alonso to win the race, the backlash was inevitable.
Workforce boss Flavio Briatore and govt director of engineering Pat Symonds, who had been accountable for the conspiracy, left the squad; the Italian was banned from FIA occasions indefinitely, although a Paris courtroom overturned the choice just a few months later.
It was the tip of an period, as Briatore had led the Enstone-based outfit all through the Nineteen Nineties and 2000s, profitable two drivers’ championships with Michael Schumacher as Benetton and two extra with Fernando Alonso as Renault. The businessman wouldn’t return to the outfit till 2024.
Technical director Bob Bell was named as appearing workforce principal till Eric Boullier got here onboard, as Renault offered its now-inconvenient workforce to Genii Capital.
2014 – Marco Mattiacci’s seven months at Ferrari
Marco Mattiacci, Ferrari Workforce Principal
Picture by: Rainier Ehrhardt
Since Jean Todt stepped down as Ferrari workforce boss on the finish of the 2007 season, the job has been one of many trickiest in motorsport.
Present F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali took over in the course of the subsequent six years, however F1’s technical revolution bought off to a disastrous begin in 2014 for the Scuderia. Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen failed to complete on the rostrum within the first three rounds, scoring a mixed 33 factors – which means Ferrari was down in fifth within the constructors’ championship, albeit simply 11 factors away from second-placed Drive India, amid Mercedes’ dominance.
Domenicali took the autumn; Marco Mattiacci, beforehand the CEO of Ferrari North America, stepped in. The 43-year-old was picked as somebody who understood the intricacies of the Ferrari tradition, regardless of his lack of F1 data.
Ferrari’s fortunes didn’t enhance considerably all through 2014 – there was not a lot Mattiacci may do about it, in equity – and he ended up being pushed apart seven months later, with Philip Morris man Maurizio Arrivabene changing him.
“We determined to nominate Maurizio Arrivabene as a result of, at this historic second in time for the Scuderia and for System 1, we want an individual with a radical understanding not simply of Ferrari but additionally of the governance mechanisms and necessities of the game,” Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne mentioned.
“Maurizio has a singular wealth of data: he has been extraordinarily near the Scuderia for years and, as a member of the F1 Fee, can also be keenly conscious of the challenges we face. He has been a continuing supply of modern concepts centered on revitalisation of System 1.
“His managerial expertise on a extremely complicated and carefully regulated market can also be of nice significance, and can assist him handle and encourage the workforce.”
Albeit short-lived, Marchionne’s time on the head of the Scuderia noticed Ferrari signal four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel as its lead driver, which led to 2 title bids in 2017 and 2018.
2014 – Caterham janitor will get flabbergasting promotion earlier than administrator takes over
A member of the Caterham workforce
Picture by: Dan Istitene / Getty Pictures
What started as a brand new iteration of the long-lasting Workforce Lotus resulted in full disarray.
When Malaysian businessman Tony Fernandes launched his System 1 workforce for 2010, he – and different new groups – had been promised a £40m finances cap that by no means materialised.
Like its backmarking rivals, the brand new Lotus squad was due to this fact severely underfunded; its F1 entry was granted in September 2009, and 6 months later, it was on the grid, 5 seconds off the tempo.
Renamed as Caterham in 2012, the outfit’s efficiency peaked that 12 months as Heikki Kovalainen outqualified each Toro Rossos on benefit in Valencia, simply two seconds off the highest groups.
Nonetheless, Fernandes grew uninterested in throwing cash on the workforce with none factors in sight and scaled his funding again earlier than promoting the workforce to a Colin Kolles-led consortium of Swiss and Center Japanese buyers in July 2014.
Cyril Abiteboul – Caterham’s third workforce principal after Fernandes himself and Riad Asmat – was due to this fact changed by former F1 driver Christijan Albers, assisted by Manfredi Ravetto.
In the meantime, former Romanian soccer participant Ioan Constantin Cojocaru was employed as a janitor in August. In an interview with Romanian web site ProSport, Cojocaru steered Ravetto recognised him, advised him he shouldn’t be a cleaner and due to this fact promoted him to the function of director.
Regardless, the corporate entered administration in October, with directors Smith & Williamson taking it over, which led to a different shock workforce boss change.
Finbarr O’Connell, Caterham workforce
Picture by: Hoch Zwei / Corbis by way of Getty Pictures
Smith & Williamson’s Finbarr O’Connell took on the workforce principal duties on the 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the place Caterham crowdfunded its means again to the grid for what ended up being its swan track.
O’Connell appeared within the FIA press convention alongside the likes of Toto Wolff and Christian Horner. “I used to be there to attempt to rescue an F1 workforce and I felt nothing however assist and friendship from them and from the opposite F1 workforce principals,” the Irishman advised Motorsport in 2024.
“Bernie [Ecclestone] wished Caterham on the grid and racing at Abu Dhabi, particularly as Marussia was not going to be racing,” he added. “He assisted the workforce with organising the transport of all of the racing equipment, though I did pay handsomely for that. Bernie additionally helped organise our tyres and petrol.
“However, because the ringmaster for this superb travelling circus, Bernie additionally referred to as all of the photographs proper all the way down to who he would problem pit passes to and him not wanting me on the grid. Bernie did not need the world’s motor racing press questioning who that man was shaking fingers on the grid with the Caterham drivers and it being defined that I’m a restructuring specialist, which he in all probability noticed as a company undertaker.”
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2016 – Ron Dennis loses energy wrestle at McLaren
Ron Dennis, McLaren Government Chairman within the storage
Picture by: McLaren
As McLaren’s workforce boss for 3 a long time, Ron Dennis helped the workforce write quite a lot of F1 historical past, with championship success for Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton underneath his tenure – no fewer than 10 drivers’ titles.
Dennis stepped apart in April 2009, letting Martin Whitmarsh take the reins of the F1 workforce, however retained his function as govt chairman of the McLaren firm.
Nevertheless, Dennis notoriously grew sad with Whitmarsh’s administration of the outfit, and eventually earned the board’s approval to take the lead of the workforce again in 2014, after an unsuccessful improvement avenue led to a podium-less 2013 marketing campaign.
“My non-executive capability began in January 2013 and it took me two days to understand it wasn’t for me,” he mentioned on the time. “I had nice trepidation going into it and after some time period it simply did not work for me.
“So I made a decision in the course of the season it was this fashion or that means. Firstly of this 12 months I mentioned this with my shareholders.
“That they had six days to determine as a window. There was lots of pre-discussion and, on the sixth day, the choice was taken.”
Dennis’ evaluation of the workforce’s state of affairs was considerably bleak – “the corporate is unfit and it must get match” – and optimistic – “I consider we are going to win races this 12 months” – on the identical time.
Kevin Magnussen, McLaren MP4-29 leads Jenson Button, McLaren MP4-29
Picture by: Sutton Pictures
Win races McLaren didn’t in 2014, and its engine partnership with struggling Honda – which was determined in 2013 – meant it wouldn’t achieve success within the subsequent few years both.
Behind the scenes, an influence wrestle was brewing as Dennis, a 25% shareholder in McLaren, was knowledgeable in October 2016 that his contract wouldn’t be renewed.
As a consequence, Dennis tried to accumulate full management of the corporate, with fellow shareholders Mansour Ojjeh and Bahrain sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat taking steps to take away the Briton from workplace.
Dennis was positioned on gardening depart, which he unsuccessfully challenged.
The Zak Brown period had begun – and, though it took time, McLaren returned to championship glory with Lando Norris in 2025.
2021-2026 – Alpine’s revolving door of workforce bosses
Laurent Rossi, Alpine F1 Workforce CEO
Picture by: Alpine
Since Renault purchased the Enstone-based workforce again forward of the 2016 season, the French model has had an unshakeable – to date unfulfilled – aim of returning to the entrance of the grid.
The outfit was renamed Alpine forward of the 2021 marketing campaign and have become a logo of instability underneath Renault group CEO Luca de Meo’s management.
Workforce boss Cyril Abiteboul departed then; Laurent Rossi grew to become Alpine CEO, with Marcin Budkowski and Davide Brivio sharing conventional workforce principal duties in a twin set-up, however each of them left the F1 workforce only a 12 months into their respective roles.
In the meantime, in October 2021, Rossi launched a 100-race plan to show the workforce into an F1 frontrunner – because it occurs, this was precisely 100 grands prix in the past, with Alpine but to take a single victory since then.
Alpine parted methods with non-executive director and Renault legend Alain Prost in January 2022, with the four-time world champion dismayed by the route taken by the workforce.
“I wasn’t concerned in decision-making anymore, I generally disagreed – fully – however I needed to preserve conveying the official phrase,” Prost advised L’Equipe on the time.
“At the same time as a member of the board, I discovered about some selections on the final minute. I might not be listened to, however I ought to a minimum of learn in time. It is a matter of respect. Relationships have turn out to be increasingly sophisticated, I may really feel lots of jealousy.
Alain Prost, Renault F1 Workforce
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
“Laurent Rossi desires to be alone, to not be aggravated by anybody,” he added. “He really advised me himself that he now not wanted an advisor.
“There’s now an actual drive to sideline lots of people. Laurent Rossi desires all of the highlight.”
Longtime Drive India/Aston Martin workforce principal Otmar Szafnauer was employed for the 2022 marketing campaign, however the American disagreed with Rossi’s 100-race plan – he believed extra time was required.
Szafnauer was due to this fact ousted forward of the 2023 summer time break, alongside sporting director Alan Permane, a member of the workforce for 34 years – coincidentally concurrently chief technical officer Pat Fry signed with Williams.
Otmar Szafnauer, Workforce Principal, Alpine F1, Pat Fry
Picture by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Pictures
Rossi didn’t see out his 100-race plan anyway; he was changed by Philippe Krief as Alpine CEO on the identical time.
Renault F1 engine boss Bruno Famin was promoted to workforce principal following Szafnauer’s departure, however his tenure proved difficult.
Early in 2024, technical director Matt Harman and head of aerodynamics Dirk de Beer resigned after the Alpines certified on the again row and completed seventeenth and 18th within the season opener.
Famin was changed as workforce principal by Oliver Oakes in August 2024, however the Briton lasted simply 9 months earlier than departing too as Flavio Briatore, who had returned to the workforce as govt advisor in June 2014, regained management over the workforce. The Italian leads the squad alongside managing director Steve Nielsen, who was employed as Oakes’ official substitute.
In the meantime, Luca de Meo, who arguably referred to as the photographs, left the Renault group in June 2025 to hitch luxurious items firm Kering, which owns the likes of Gucci, Yves Saint-Laurent and Balenciaga.
2025 – Purple Bull’s Christian Horner period ends
Christian Horner, Purple Bull Racing
Picture by: Purple Bull Content material Pool
A number of years in the past, Christian Horner being eliminated as Purple Bull F1 workforce principal would have been unthinkable.
Turning into F1’s youngest workforce boss at 31 years outdated in 2005, Horner led the outfit to eight drivers’ titles, however his place grew to become more and more precarious after Purple Bull cofounder Dietrich Mateschitz died in 2022.
Horner faltered however survived an investigation right into a criticism of inappropriate behaviour by a feminine worker in early 2024, having been cleared of any wrongdoing by an inside investigation.
Nonetheless, a number of key Purple Bull figures departed over the previous few years, most significantly chief designer Adrian Newey and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley – and for a while it was clear that Horner’s future was in danger.
What made issues trickier for Horner was that he had neither Purple Bull advisor Helmut Marko nor the Max Verstappen camp on his aspect, and he was dropping the assist of the Yoovidhya household – Chalerm Yoovidhya owns 51% of Purple Bull.
So, Horner held on for just a few extra months however finally misplaced the battle in what was nonetheless a shock – even to him, in accordance with what he advised the workers in his farewell speech.
2026 – Adrian Newey turns into Aston Martin workforce principal – however not for lengthy
Adrian Newey, Aston Martin Racing Workforce Principal
Picture by: Mario Renzi / System 1 by way of Getty Pictures
Aston Martin has formally been in System 1 for 5 years, but it surely has already gone by way of 4 workforce principals, together with the aforementioned Szafnauer, Mike Krack and Andy Cowell.
Final November, Adrian Newey was introduced as Aston’s workforce boss for 2026 – which was barely puzzling because the Briton definitely had sufficient on his plate as managing technical companion, attempting to show the Silverstone-based outfit into an actual prime workforce for the very first time in its 35-year historical past.
Over the previous three months, Newey has steered away from some conventional duties like media duties, and now he already has a disaster on his fingers.
Aston Martin’s new works engine take care of Honda isn’t paying off, that’s the least one can say – particularly because the workforce gave up on its Mercedes buyer standing.
As F1 has switched to new technical rules, the Japanese producer’s energy unit suffers from extreme vibrations, which trigger battery injury and driver well being considerations. The Newey-designed AMR26, as a consequence, can’t even full a grand prix.
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Though the workforce has said that it could not touch upon hypothesis, Motorsport understands Aston Martin is about to rent outgoing Audi F1 boss Jonathan Wheatley as workforce principal, with Newey focusing solely on technical issues.
Wheatley’s shock transfer, after he spent only a 12 months at Audi, will make him Aston’s fifth workforce principal in as a few years.
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