Loïc Serra (born 30 March 1972) is a French Formula 1 engineer and Chassis Technical Director of Scuderia Ferrari HP.

Loïc Serra
Born (1972-03-30) 30 March 1972 (age 52)
NationalityFrance French
CitizenshipFrench
OccupationEngineer
EmployerScuderia Ferrari
Known forFormula One engineer
TitleChassis Technical Director

Career

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Serra studied at Arts et Métiers ParisTech in Aix-en-Provence and Paris, specialising in Mechanical Engineering.[1] After graduating from university, Serra started his career in motorsport with Michelin, working as a quality engineer in Bad Kreuznach, Germany, before moving to the company's main Research and Development centre in Clermont-Ferrand, France. His department worked on new tyres and suspension concepts allowing Serra to gain a deep understanding in vehicle dynamics and tyre interactions.[1][2]

In 2002, Serra was given the task to develop a new innovative suspension system for racing cars and other high-performance vehicles. This suspension system was proposed to the Michelin customer teams in Formula One and formed Serra's first encounter with the series. Shortly afterwards, Serra joined the Formula One department at Michelin and remained there until the tyre manufacturer withdrew from the series in 2006.[2][3]

As Serra wished to stay in Formula One, he joined the BMW Sauber F1 Team to become the Head of Vehicle Performance for the Swiss team. After BMW's withdrawal from Formula One, Serra decided to seek a new challenge so he joined the new Mercedes works team where he has remained ever since.[2][3] In 2019, Serra was promoted to performance director at Mercedes. His role involves working with tyre, suspension, aerodynamic, and power unit experts to ensure the various characteristics work towards an overall package that is both fast and reliable.[4][5] In 2023, it became public that he will join Scuderia Ferrari in 2025. [6] Ferrari confirmed the news in May 2024, announcing that Serra would join the team beginning October 2024 as the team's of Chassis Technical Director.[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Loïc Serra". MercedesAMGF1.com. 2020. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Men behind Mercedes team". F1i.com. 17 June 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b Noble, Jonathan (2 August 2016). "McLaren in legal dispute with Mercedes over engineer". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 19 February 2024. Updated 5 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  4. ^ "Mercedes announce technical shakeup for 2019". Formula1.com. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Tyres are living things-Serra". Racingspot. 12 May 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2024. Updated 19 June 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  6. ^ "Ferrari captures 'top' Mercedes figure to boost F1 recovery". Autosport.com. 22 July 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Loic Serra and Jerome D'ambrosio join Scuderia Ferrari HP". Ferrari.com. 13 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.