Alessandro Alunni Bravi is to join McLaren in a newly-created role overseeing various racing activities, as Stephanie Carlin is to take additional F1 responsibilities.
Having spent good time at Sauber, Bravi will move over to McLaren as Chief Business Affair Officer in a newly-created role, where he will report directly to Zak Brown. He will start work from February 1 in 2025 and his work will cover range of activities of the racing team on the whole.
He will also be part of the Racing Executive Team. His work entails matters from legal to driver development, commercial, driver contract management and rights holders/governing body management. In fact, he will take over of the Driver Development porgramme too.
Carlin has been looking after the programme until now, but she will take additional responsibilities on the F1 side and will report to team principal Andrea Stella. In addition to these changes, McLaren chief communication officer Steve Atkins also confirmed his departure for personal reasons.
He will leave at the end of February. “I’m delighted to have Alessandro joining us with his extensive expertise and motorsport background,” said Brown. “Alongside managing our legal and driver development functions, he will also provide invaluable support on all professional driver business management matters, racing governance activities across our various rights holders and governing body relationships and broad business support to all our racing series as needed.
“We look forward to welcoming him to the McLaren Racing family in February. I’d also like to thank Steve for his contribution to McLaren Racing’s success over the last two seasons and I wish him well in his future endeavours.”
Meanwhile, Bravi noted: “McLaren is a team I have been a huge fan of my whole life, and it therefore sparks special emotions personally to have the opportunity to now work with such an amazing group of people. I’m so grateful to be joining such a great organisation with the values and culture that are so clear to see from the outside.
“I want to reward the trust and confidence that Zak and the Board have put in me by giving my full dedication and effort to help contribute to the continued success, as I believe teamwork is key to everything. I am so happy to be joining a team that I truly believe sets the benchmark in F1 both on and off the track, and I can’t wait to get started at the beginning of February.”
And Atkins added: “After two hugely rewarding years with the team, I’m stepping down from my role as Chief Communications Officer at the end of February for personal reasons. The role involved significant international travel throughout the year which has been both enriching and challenging, but I feel it’s the right time for me to focus on family priorities while seeking out a new professional challenge that keeps me closer to them. I wish everyone in the McLaren family the best for the season ahead and look forward to watching the team go onto greater success.”
Here’s news on Alessandro Alunni Bravi leaving Sauber
Here’s Andrea Stella on unlocking potential
Here’s Lando Norris on his confidence
Here’s Toto Wolff praising McLaren
Here’s Oscar Piastri on needing to step up in 2025
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