Simone Resta delivers final Ferrari message ahead of rival move to Mercedes

Simone Resta will join Mercedes in 2025.

After 23 years under the Ferrari umbrella, Simone Resta has proclaimed “onwards and upwards” as he swaps red for silver having signed as Mercedes’ strategic development director.

Although it has been Mercedes personnel changes that have made headlines this year, from Lewis Hamilton to Loic Serra, Mercedes are also bolstering their workforce with the notable signing of Resta.

Simone Resta bid farewell to Ferrari, next stop Mercedes

The Italian has been a Ferrari stalwart with more than two decades in red, even doing stints at their customer teams Alfa Romeo and more recently Haas.

Starting at Ferrari in 2001 as a senior design engineer, he climbed the ranks to chief designer before taking up a role at Alfa Romeo and later Haas before returning to Maranello.

Mercedes announced back in March that they’d signed Resta as their new Strategic Development Director with May 31st marking his final day with Ferrari.

He acknowledged that on LinkedIn.

“2001-2024, last day after 23 years of passion at Ferrari,” he wrote. “Unique professional experience, having been lucky enough to meet exceptional talents.

“A heartfelt thank you to everyone who believed in me, and to the fans who have never stopped to give their support during all those years.

“Onwards and upwards.”

The Italian will reportedly take up his role with Mercedes at some point in 2025 after a period of gardening leave.

He’ll have a few familiar faces around him when he arrives in Brackley in James Allison, who worked for Ferrari from 2013 to 2016, and Enrico Sampo, who worked in the Scuderia’s simulator department. He’s taking on the role of Head of Performance Software Applications at Mercedes.

The big Mercedes news making headlines

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Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff recently spoke about the personnel changes with Mercedes also saying goodbye to chief aerodynamicist Gioacchino Vino while welcoming others from rival teams.

“We’re in a really good spot, because we had eight consecutive championships and then it started to deteriorate and part of that is also human component,” he told Sky F1.

“And I think how it’s shaping up now some wanted to go, some we had to let go, and in the same time we’re adding fresh joiners.

“All of that with the leadership of James, who does so well, he’s such an inspiration for the team, that I feel we’re in an upward trajectory with the motivation, the energy and the competence.”

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