Formula 1 News: McLaren loses Pirro, its Driver Development Boss

More staff exodus at McLaren F1. The man who led the team’s Driver Development Program, Emanuele Pirro, has confirmed his departure.

He follows on the heels of Car Performance Engineer David Sanchez who resigned from the team yesterday.

Pirro joined in April of last year to oversee McLaren’s driver development program, which has since undergone a major restructure with various young racers added to the fold.

But, “after a year of hard work and satisfaction”, Pirro’s time with McLaren is over.

In an Instagram post confirming the news, Pirro wrote: “After a year of hard work and satisfaction, I will be leaving the McLaren driver development program.

“Together with the Formula 1 team, I was able to put in place a structure to help develop young, talented, and hard-working drivers into future McLaren champions.

“To the best of my ability, I carried out this task, scouting and signing young stars which I truly feel can carve their names into the history books.

“I trust the internal resources who will run the DDP will continue on my path and help the program grow, giving the type of unique support developing drivers need alongside the professionalism and experience of the great teams they are all representing,” said Pirro.

“I have done my best in transmitting the lessons learned and the mistakes made over a life in motorsport and now I step aside and let the program walk on its own legs, grateful for the opportunity that has been given to me.

“I wish all the best to Gabriel [Bortoleto], Ugo [Ugochukwu], Bianca [Bustamante], Pato [O’Ward], Ryo [Hirakawa] and Brando [Badoer], along with the future drivers with whom a collaboration has already begun. With all of you and your competitors, the future of the sport I have grown to love so much is in safe hands. I am now ready for new challenges…”