RB F1 team have appointed Tim Goss as chief technical officer and Alan Permane as racing director in a double signing that brings huge experience to Red Bull’s sister squad.
The moves for the team formerly known as AlphaTauri continue a major upheaval that began last year with Laurent Mekies replacing Franz Tost as team principal and Peter Bayer joining from the FIA as chief executive.
Goss, who recently stepped down from his position as technical director of the FIA, previously spent 28 years at McLaren where he progressed to the position of technical director.
Permane was sacked as Alpine sporting director in July, along with team principal Otmar Szafnauer, after a disappointing first half of the season, but is a highly-respected figure who boasts 34 years of experience in F1.
Also joining RB is aerodynamicist Guillaume Cattelani, who moves over from Red Bull and takes up the position of deputy technical director under Jody Egginton.
“These appointments represent a strong step forward for RB,” Bayer said. “The appointments of Guillaume and Alan will boost capability in design and development of our cars and in performance at the track.
“Then, with Tim’s arrival in October, we will have put in place the key elements of a structure designed to take us on the next phase of our journey and ensure the long-term success of the team.”
Mekies added: “The appointments of Tim, Guillaume and Alan add a vast amount of winning expertise to the team, and I have no doubt that they will help take the team to the next level in F1.
“We already have a very strong and hugely-experienced group at the team and bringing onboard highly-skilled individuals like Tim, Guillaume and Alan will boost our capability and help us meet the highest technical standards at RB, both at the factory and at the track.”
Drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda delivered a strong finish to 2023 to help the team climb to eighth in the constructors’ standings, but the hugely-significant personnel changes at the top of the organisation reflect pressure to improve on two successive underwhelming campaigns.
The recency of Goss’ tenure at the sport’s governing body means he is unable to take up his position until October, but Permane and Cattelani are set to join immediately.
When is F1 pre-season testing?
Pre-season testing takes place from Wednesday February 21 to Friday February 23 at the Bahrain International Circuit with just three days for the teams to get prepared for the new season.
When is the first F1 race?
Just one week later, the opening race of the 2024 season will begin with the Bahrain Grand Prix from February 29 to March 2.
Due to the Muslim holy period of Ramadan, the Bahrain and, seven days later, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, will be held on a Saturday.
This means practice one and two will take place on Thursdays, with final practice and qualifying on Fridays.
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Source : Sky Sports
