Championship-Winning Engineer Jock Clear to Leave Ferrari – Report

Why it matters:

The reported departure of Jock Clear, Ferrari's chief performance engineer, marks a significant change for the Italian squad. His extensive experience and key roles, including coaching Charles Leclerc and overseeing the Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA), make his exit a critical development for the team's engineering and future talent pipeline.

The big picture:

Clear, a veteran engineer with a championship pedigree, is said to be leaving Ferrari after nearly a decade. He was instrumental in Jacques Villeneuve's 1997 Drivers' Championship at Williams as his race engineer and has worked with multiple world champions, including Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, and Lewis Hamilton.

The details:

• Clear joined Ferrari in 2015.
• He served as chief performance engineer, driver coach to Charles Leclerc, and head of the Ferrari Driver Academy.
• The FDA oversight role will now be taken by Marc Gené, a former F1 driver and Ferrari test driver.
• Clear's F1 career includes stints at Benetton, Williams, Honda, Brawn GP, and Mercedes.
• His departure comes as Ferrari battles McLaren for second place in the constructors' standings.

What's next:

Ferrari has not yet officially confirmed Clear's departure, and his next destination in F1 remains unknown. The team also faces the task of identifying a successor for his technical responsibilities. Marc Gené's expanded role signals a shift in the FDA leadership.