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In Formula One, the team principal is the person who owns and is in charge of a certain team during each race weekend. They are also usually responsible for giving out team orders.

Famous examples include Ron Dennis (McLaren), Jean Todt (Ferrari), Frank Williams (Williams), Christian Horner (Red Bull) and Colin Chapman (Lotus). World Drivers' Champions like Alain Prost and Jackie Stewart also became team principals for their own teams after retiring from racing. The most successful team principal of all time is Williams, with nine Team Principal titles, and has led his team on a regular basis since its formation in 1977, despite the car accident that left him paralysed in 1986. Todt is now President of the FIA.

Paddy Lowe, as Executive Direction (Technical), is the current title-winning team principal, though he left the role in January 2017.[1]

Monisha Kaltenborn became the first female team principal in Formula One history in 2012 after taking charge of the Sauber team, but she too left in June 2017.[2]

Current team principals

Name Year Started Team Previous Teams
France Cyril Abiteboul 2010-2012, 2014 Renault Caterham
Italy Maurizio Arrivabene 2015 Ferrari
France Eric Boullier 2015 McLaren Renault, Lotus
United Kingdom Christian Horner 2005 Red Bull
India Vijay Mallya 2008 Force India
Italy Guenther Steiner 2016 Haas
Austria Franz Tost 2006 Toro Rosso
France Frédéric Vasseur 2017 Sauber Renault
United Kingdom Frank Williams 1977 Williams
Austria Toto Wolff 2017 Mercedes

Past Team Principals

Name Duration Team
United Kingdom George Abecassis 1951-1954 HWM
France Cyril Abiteboul 2013-2014 Caterham
Netherlands Christijan Albers 2014 Caterham
Sweden Ove Andersson 2002-2003 Toyota
Italy Rocco Benetton 1998-2000 Benetton
United Kingdom John Booth 2010-2011
2012-2015
Marussia
Virgin
France Éric Boullier 2010-2011
2012-2013
Renault
Lotus
Australia Jack Brabham 1961-1970 Brabham
United Kingdom Ross Brawn 2008
2009
2010-2013
Honda
Brawn
Mercedes
United Kingdom Eric Broadley 1997 Lola
Italy Flavio Briatore 1990-1997, 2000-2001
2002-2009
Benetton
Renault
United Kingdom Trevor Carlin 2006 Midland
United Kingdom Colin Chapman 1958-1982 Lotus
United Kingdom John Cooper 1950-1964 Cooper
United Kingdom Ron Dennis[3] 1980-2008, 2014-2016[4] McLaren
Italy Stefano Domenicali 2008-2014 Ferrari
Brazil Gil de Ferran 2006-2007 Honda
India Monisha Kaltenborn 2012-2017 Sauber
Italy Luca Montezemolo 1973-1975 Ferrari
United Kingdom Bernie Ecclestone 1972-1987 Brabham
Malaysia Tony Fernandes 2010-2011
2012
Lotus
Caterham
Italy Sante Ghedini 1992-1993 Ferrari
United States Dan Gurney 1966-1968 Eagle
Ireland Eddie Jordan 1991-2005 Jordan
Germany Colin Kolles 2007
2008
2010-2011
Spyker
Force India
HRT
France Jean-Luc Lagardère 1970-1972 Matra
France Guy Ligier 1976-1992 Ligier
Luxembourg Gérard Lopez 2014-2015 Lotus
United Kingdom Paddy Lowe[5] 2014-2016 Mercedes
Italy Marco Mattiacci 2014 Ferrari
United States Teddy Mayer 1970-1982 McLaren
New Zealand Bruce McLaren 1963-1970 McLaren
United Kingdom Charlie Moody 1994-1995 Simtek
United Kingdom Max Mosley 1970-1977 March
United States Don Nichols 1973-1981 Shadow
Italy Roberto Nosetto 1977 Ferrari
United Kingdom Finbarr O'Connell[6] 2014 Caterham
Spain Luis Pérez-Sala 2012 HRT
France Alain Prost 1997-2001 Prost
Italy Manfredi Ravetto 2014 Caterham
Italy Andrea Sassetti 1992 Andrea Moda
Switzerland Peter Sauber 1993-2012 Sauber
Switzerland Peter Schetty 1971-1972 Ferrari
United Kingdom Louis Stanley 1960-1977 BRM
United Kingdom Jackie Stewart 1997-1999 Stewart
Australia Paul Stoddart 2001-2005 Minardi
Japan Aguri Suzuki 2006-2008 Super Aguri
United Kingdom Alex Tai 2010 Virgin
Australia Ron Tauranac 1961-1971 Brabham
France Jean Todt 1993-2007 Ferrari
Japan Tsutomu Tomita 2004-2007 Toyota
United Kingdom Ken Tyrrell 1968-1969
1970-1998
Matra
Tyrrell
Italy Nello Ugolini 1952-1955 Ferrari
United Kingdom Tony Vandervell 1954-1960 Vanwall
Italy Ernesto Vita 1990 Life
United Kingdom Tom Walkinshaw 1991-1994
1995-1996
1996
1997-2002
Benetton
Ligier
Footwork
Arrows
United Kingdom Martin Whitmarsh 2010-2013 McLaren
Hong Kong Teddy Yip 1978-1983 Theodore

By team

Team Team principals
Benetton Italy Flavio Briatore (1990–1997)
Italy Rocco Benetton (1998–start of 2000)
Italy Flavio Briatore (2000–2001)
Caterham Malaysia Tony Fernandes (2012)
France Cyril Abiteboul (2013–July 2014)
Netherlands Christijan Albers (July–November 2014)
Italy Manfredi Ravetto (2014)
United Kingdom Finbarr O'Connell ("de facto" Team Principal, November 2014)
Ferrari France Jean Todt (1993–2007)
Italy Stefano Domenicali (2008–April 2014)
Italy Marco Mattiacci (April–November 2014)
Italy Maurizio Arrivabene (2015–present)
Force India India Vijay Mallya (2008–present)
Haas Italy Guenther Steiner (2016–present)
Lotus F1 France Éric Boullier (2012–2013)
Luxembourg Gérard Lopez (2014–2015)
Lotus Racing Malaysia Tony Fernandes (2010–2011)
Manor United Kingdom Stephen Fitzpatrick (2016)
Marussia United Kingdom John Booth (2010–2011)
McLaren New Zealand Bruce McLaren (1963–1970)
United States Teddy Mayer (1970–1982)
United Kingdom Ron Dennis (1981–2008)
United Kingdom Martin Whitmarsh (2009–2013)
United Kingdom Ron Dennis (2014–2016)
Mercedes United Kingdom Ross Brawn (2010–2013)
United Kingdom Paddy Lowe (2014–2016)
Red Bull United Kingdom Christian Horner (2005–present)
Renault Italy Flavio Briatore (2002–2009)
France Éric Boullier (2010–2011)
France Frédéric Vasseur (2016–start of 2017)

Notes

  1. "Tech boss Lowe to leave Mercedes post". formula1.com (Formula One Administration). 10 January 2017. https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/headlines/2017/1/lowe-to-leave-mercedes.html. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  2. "Statement by the Chairman regarding Monisha Kaltenborn". Sauber. 22 June 2017. https://www.sauberf1team.com/news/statement-by-the-chairman-regarding-monisha-kaltenborn. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  3. Does not hold position of "Team Principal".
  4. Dennis has returned to his position as team boss in 2014 after five years, replacing Martin Whitmarsh.
  5. Mercedes do not employ anyone with the role of "team principal". However, Paddy Lowe, in his role as Executive Director (Technical), performs the role of a team principal.
  6. Appointed by Smith & Williamson to be Caterham's administrator, hence became the de facto Team Principal.
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