A ‘family’ swap
The Formula 1 market, whether concerning drivers or engineers, has accustomed us to unpredictability and plot twists. But the latest rumor from England – specifically reported by the BBC – surprises even the most seasoned silly season followers. According to the reliable British outlet, Mercedes’ current senior performance simulation engineer, Michael Sansoni, is set to leave the Brackley-based team to join… Manchester United.
Michael Sansoni has been with Mercedes for a decade – he joined in July 2014 – and has steadily climbed the internal ranks, even serving as performance engineer on Lewis Hamilton’s car. After the victorious 2020 Spanish Grand Prix, he represented the black-and-silver team on the podium to collect the Constructors’ trophy.
The link between Mercedes and Manchester United is, of course, Ineos – the company founded by Jim Ratcliffe, who is the CEO of the group and, as of February 2024, a minority shareholder of the Red Devils, with full control over sporting operations. Ineos also owns a third of the Mercedes team, so it can be said that – by extension – this is all part of one large sporting family.
It’s all about the data
In recent years, Manchester United has spent hundreds of millions of pounds, but has failed to return to its former glory, while struggling to keep up with cross-town rivals Manchester City, who have become the benchmark in English football.
In a recent interview, Ratcliffe stated that United, in terms of data analysis, “is still stuck in the last century.” Michael Sansoni would be brought in as the key figure in data analysis, aiming to make the club’s massive financial investments pay off on the sporting front.
As of now, according to the BBC, no deal has been finalized, but Ineos’s central role in this move is expected to ease the entire process. Michael Sansoni will leave Mercedes at the end of the year, and sources say that moving to United would be like keeping him in the family – an opportunity worth pursuing.
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