Veteran motorsport technical figure Pat Symonds will join Andretti-Cadillac as Executive Engineering Consultant as the team continues its push to join the Formula 1 grid.
Symonds, who most recently served as Chief Technical Officer for Formula 1, will officially join the team at its new Silverstone base upon the completion of his gardening leave from F1.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Pat to the Andretti family,” said Andretti Global Chairman & CEO Michael Andretti. “Pat’s keen understanding of aerodynamics, vehicle dynamics and Formula 1 power units will be instrumental as we continue to build a competitive team. I believe his expertise has been pivotal in shaping the narrative of Formula One and his vote of confidence in joining our effort speaks volumes. I’m really happy with this next step as our work continues at pace.”
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Symonds got his start in F1 with Toleman in the early 1980s, and remained with the team as it evolved into Benetton in the years that followed. After a brief detour to the abortive Reynard F1 project in 1991, he returned to Benetton, where he became Michael Schumacher’s race engineer while also working in the role of Head of Research and Development. He remained with Benetton when Schumacher and several other key figures exited for Ferrari in 1996, and was still there when the team was taken over by Renault F1, eventually rising to the position of Executive Director of Engineering.
He left Renault after the ‘Crashgate’ scandal in 2009 and served as an advisor to Virgin F1 before joining Williams as Chief Technical Officer in 2013. He held that position until 2016, and joined F1 the following year.
“I have had the pleasure to work with Pat in the past and he has a wealth of knowledge we can draw upon,” said Nick Chester, Technical Director for Andretti Cadillac. “Pat will bring expertise across technical areas and team operations in his role as Executive Engineering Consultant that will help us develop the team.”