Giacomo Tortora

Tortora studied mechanical engineering at the University of Oxford, where he was a PhD student and research assistant between 1999 and 2002.^[2]

He began his motorsport career at McLaren Racing in 2004 as tyre programme R&D coordinator, where he developed a thermal tyre model and acted as the principal liaison between McLaren and Michelin on tyre research and development projects. Tortora was promoted to vehicle modelling team leader in 2007, leading a group responsible for the development and maintenance of vehicle models covering aerodynamics, suspension, powertrain and tyres. These models were developed in-house using Matlab, Simulink, SimMechanics and C, and were used to support race engineers and chief engineers. From 2009 to 2011, Tortora served as trackside aerodynamics team leader, managing a team of engineers responsible for advising on optimal car configuration at races and analysing track data to provide feedback to aerodynamic design groups.^[3]

In 2011, Tortora joined Scuderia Ferrari, where he served as head of vehicles dynamics. In this role, he was responsible for simulation, modelling and tyre to track interactions. He left the Scuderia in 2020 and joined Mercedes in 2020 as deputy chief designer.^[4] In April 2023, he was appointed engineering director, overseeing engineering operations across the team and in 2026, he stepped up to the role of Car Design Director, following the departure of long-time Chief Designer John Owen with his Engineering Director role being passed on to Head of Composite Design, Sam Coates.^[5]