Former Ferrari F1 Chief Stuns Racing World by Switching to Long-Time Rival McLaren – What’s Behind This Unexpected Move?
Former Ferrari boss Luca Di Montezemolo has made a shock decision to join rival manufacturer McLaren Automotive, despite his long history in F1 with the Scuderia.
Montezemolo served as Ferrari chairman until 2014, and is credited with returning the team to championship success with driver Michael Schumacher and legendary team principal Jean Todt.
During the Schumacher years however, Ferrari’s main rivals were McLaren which makes Montezemolo’s move all the more confusing for those who will forever picture the Italian in red.
In 2025, Ferrari are McLaren’s closest challengers in the constructors’ championship, although they are still 207 points behind the dominant Woking-based outfit.
Montezemolo clarified the nature of his appointment at McLaren and how it was in no way linked to F1, retaining his loyalty to Ferrari as a racing team.
“My heart is and will always remain red, I have become a board member of McLaren Automotive, which produces road cars, and is not involved in F1,” Di Montezemolo said to Italian news agency ANSA.
Luca di Montezemolo is synonymous with Ferrari’s success
What is Montezemolo’s role at McLaren?
Montezemolo will join McLaren Automotive’s board of directors, where he will become the ninth director of the company.
McLaren Automotive has a minority stake in the McLaren Group, which the F1 team falls under, but the Italian will be mainly concerned with the road car side of the business.
Montezemolo attended the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix in April this year, hardly coincidental when McLaren Group is still majority owned by Mumtalakat, the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The 77-year-old was also spotted embracing McLaren team principal Andrea Stella in the Bahrain GP paddock, although this is more likely to be a reunion between old colleagues than a welcome to his new venture.
Stella worked at Ferrari from 2000 until 2014 and was Schumacher’s performance engineer for five seasons, serving at the team during the championship-winning years Montezemolo was responsible for.
McLaren Automotive has recently undergone a shift in ownership with the Abu Dhabi-based investment firm CYVN Holding finalising their takeover of the company in April.
Since then, new appointments have been made to McLaren Automotive, including Nick Collins as their new CEO and McLaren Group chairman Paul Walsh who has also been added to the board.
