Andretti International has employed the person behind Formulation 1’s 2026 technical laws as an engineering advisor because it bids to enter the sequence.
Pat Symonds, who developed automobiles which took Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso to world championships, will be a part of Andretti after finishing a interval of gardening depart.
Andretti’s bid to enter F1 in 2026 was permitted by the FIA in October final 12 months however rejected by Formulation One Administration in January. One of many causes the championship gave for refusing to confess Andretti was that it did “not consider that the applicant could be a aggressive participant.”
Symonds’ popularity as an engineer, plus his years spent devising the present and upcoming technical laws, underlined Andretti’s declare to be severe about being a aggressive entrant.
“We couldn’t be extra excited to welcome Pat to the Andretti household,” stated Andretti International chairman and CEO Michael Andretti. “Pat’s eager understanding of aerodynamics, automobile dynamics and Formulation 1 energy models can be instrumental as we proceed to construct a aggressive workforce.
“I consider his experience has been pivotal in shaping the narrative of Formulation 1 and his vote of confidence in becoming a member of our effort speaks volumes. I’m actually proud of this subsequent step as our work continues at tempo.”
Symonds will be a part of Andretti’s rising workforce at its new Silverstone base as soon as he’s free to affix them. He can be reunited with Nick Chester, Andretti’s technical director, whom he labored with throughout his lengthy stint on the workforce often called Benetton and Renault, which now competes as Alpine.
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“I’ve had the pleasure to work with Pat prior to now and he has a wealth of information we are able to draw upon,” stated Chester. “Pat will deliver experience throughout technical areas and workforce operations in his function as govt engineering advisor that can assist us develop the workforce.”
Symonds, 70, arrived in F1 with the Toleman workforce when it entered the sequence in 1981, and remained there for nearly three a long time. Throughout that point it gained races and championships as Benetton and Renault. Nonetheless Symonds left in shame in 2009 after the FIA dominated he was concerned within the Crashgate conspiracy which gained the workforce the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
He returned to F1 in 2011 with the Marussia workforce. There he labored with Graeme Lowden who has since joined Andretti (pictured above with Symonds). Two years later he moved to Williams, the place he stayed till the top of 2016.
He later took up a task at Formulation One Administration, devising a radical overhaul of the sequence’ technical laws which was launched in 2022. He has since labored on the subsequent guidelines set, due for introduction in 2026, when F1 will change its energy unit formulation for the primary time since 2014.
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