As beforehand reported by Motorsport.com, Symonds was set to depart his place as F1’s chief technical officer after seven years within the job, enjoying an important position in contributing to F1’s technical rules for 2022 and 2026.
With the chassis guidelines for 2026 all however finalised, Symonds determined to depart the organisation as had lengthy been into account.
It has now emerged that Andretti World is Symonds’s subsequent vacation spot, with Michael Andretti’s organisation hiring the 70-year-old as an Government Engineering Guide.
He’ll work from the crew’s just lately opened UK base in Silverstone following a gardening depart interval.
“We could not be extra excited to welcome Pat to the Andretti household,” stated Andretti. “Pat’s eager understanding of aerodynamics, automobile dynamics and System 1 energy models might be instrumental as we proceed to construct a aggressive crew.
“I consider his experience has been pivotal in shaping the narrative of System 1 and his vote of confidence in becoming a member of our effort speaks volumes. I am actually proud of this subsequent step as our work continues at tempo.”
At Andretti Symonds re-joins former Benetton and Renault colleague Nick Chester, who heads up the engineering crew as Andretti Cadillac’s technical director.
“I’ve had the pleasure to work with Pat previously and he has a wealth of information we are able to draw upon,” stated Chester.
Michael Andretti
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Photographs
“Pat will carry experience throughout technical areas and crew operations in his position as Government Engineering Guide that may assist us develop the crew.”
Touchdown Symonds is one other string to Andretti’s bow because the American racing powerhouse aggressively pursues an F1 entry with GM model Cadillac.
Whereas it was denied entry for 2026, it has not taken no for a solution and continued its preparation, opening the Silverstone headquarters and beginning a recruitment drive, with Symonds now rising as the primary main coup.
F1 has left the door open for a brand new try in 2028 with bespoke GM energy models.
Symonds was an integral a part of the Benetton crew that took championships with Michael Schumacher within the mid-90s.
He stayed with the crew by means of its Renault guise till leaving within the wake of the 2008 Singapore Crashgate scandal, earlier than returning to the collection as a advisor for Virgin. He then grew to become CTO at Williams and joined the F1 organisation in 2017.
F1’s refusal to simply accept Andretti’s bid to affix as an eleventh crew has ruffled some feathers within the States.
Final month Mario Andretti made an look on Capitol Hill as a number of Congress members wrote to F1 and its American proprietor Liberty Media to demand solutions on why Andretti’s bid was rejected, invoking antitrust legal guidelines.
It has since emerged that a number of senators have requested the Division of Justice and the Federal Commerce Fee to begin a proper investigation.
The Home’s Judiciary Committee has already launched its personal probe into the matter.
