McLaren announces recruitment of former Stake Sauber boss

Representative and general manager of Stake Sauber until last season, Alessandro Alunni Bravi will join McLaren as new director of commercial affairs, effective February 1, 2025.

It was the 2024 constructors' world champion team which announced this information this Thursday late in the afternoon. The Italian, who has been part of the Sauber management team since 2017, will work under the direct responsibility of Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing.

His newly created position will cover a wide variety of areas, “including legal matters, pilot development, commercial matters, management of pilot contracts and management [des relations] with rights holders and governing bodies”we can read in the press release. The latter also confirms that Alunni Bravi will take the helm of the driver development program in place of Stephanie Carlin, who should take more responsibility for the F1 team.

“McLaren is a team that I have been a huge fan of my whole life, and that is why I personally have special emotions at the idea of ​​having the opportunity to work with such an extraordinary group of people”he said. “I am very grateful to join such a great organization, whose values ​​and culture are so evident from the outside.”

“I would like to repay the trust Zak and the board have placed in me by dedicating myself fully to my work and striving to contribute to continued success, as I believe teamwork is key “I'm very happy to be joining a team that I truly believe is the benchmark in F1, both on and off the track, and I can't wait to start at the beginning of February.”

In addition to his role as “representative” which he has occupied since 2023, Alunni Bravi has been general director of Sauber since 2022, which then raced under the identity of Alfa Romeo. Previously, he joined the board of directors of the Swiss structure in 2017 following the acquisition by the investment fund Longbow Finance.

It should be noted that his arrival at McLaren will also take place in parallel with the departure at the end of February, also announced in the press release, of Steve Atkins, communications manager of the structure for two years. “After two extremely rewarding years within the team, I will be leaving my position as Communications Director at the end of February for personal reasons.”

“This role has required extensive international travel throughout the year, which has been both rewarding and challenging, but I believe the time has come for me to focus on family priorities while looking for a new professional challenge that allows me to get closer to them. I wish all members of the McLaren family the best for the coming season and look forward to seeing the team achieve greater success.