Ferrari confirms Jock Clear's arrival from Mercedes
James Allison has confirmed that experienced Formula One engineer Jock Clear will join Ferrari, following his departure from Mercedes at the end of 2014.
Jock Clear will join Ferrari’s Formula One team after leaving Mercedes, technical director James Allison has confirmed. Clear, who worked as Lewis Hamilton’s performance engineer and has a long history with championship-winning drivers, is set to take up a senior engineering role at Maranello.
Clear’s move follows Mercedes’ confirmation late last year that he would depart the Brackley-based team. Before working with Hamilton, Clear gained recognition as race engineer to Michael Schumacher at Mercedes and Jacques Villeneuve during his championship-winning season at Williams.
Reports in Germany indicated that Clear’s contract with Mercedes included a period of gardening leave, potentially preventing him from working with a rival team for up to a year. Ferrari is understood to be negotiating with Mercedes to bring Clear on board sooner, but no official start date has been announced.
Role at Ferrari
Clear is expected to head up Ferrari’s engineering group, in a role previously held by Pat Fry, who left the team at the end of 2014. His experience with top teams and drivers is seen as an asset for Ferrari as it seeks to close the gap to Mercedes in Formula One.
Clear’s appointment is part of a wider technical restructuring at Ferrari, which has included the departures of several senior figures and the recruitment of new talent. The team aims to strengthen its engineering department as it targets a return to championship contention.
For more on Ferrari’s recent technical moves, see Adrian Newey Nearly Joined Ferrari for 2015 F1 Season.
