Ferrari Engineer Xavier Marcos Padros Joins...

Ferrari Engineer Xavier Marcos Padros Joins…read

Ferrari has experienced an exciting start to the year with the official confirmation of Lewis Hamilton’s highly anticipated move to the Italian team. The seven-time world champion is preparing for his debut in a Ferrari car, with multiple test drives scheduled ahead of the 2025 season’s Bahrain tests. However, as the team gears up for a new chapter, they have also faced a significant loss as a key member of Charles Leclerc’s engineering team has made a surprising move to a rival series.

Xavier Marcos Padros, who was a crucial part of Leclerc’s engineering team, has now been appointed the technical director for Cadillac’s LMDh (Le Mans Daytona hybrid) program. This change marks a significant shift in Padros’ career, as he transitions from the high-paced world of Formula 1 to the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the IMSA SportsCar Championship, both of which Cadillac participates in.

Padros was with Ferrari for a number of years, serving as Leclerc’s race engineer from 2018 until 2024. During his time with the Scuderia, Padros played a key role in the Monegasque driver’s rise through the ranks, helping him achieve numerous podiums and victories. However, mid-2024, Padros was reassigned to other projects within Ferrari, leading to his replacement by Bryan Bozzi ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Despite this change, Padros remained with Ferrari in another capacity, continuing to contribute to the team’s broader engineering efforts.

Now, in a major career shift, Padros has decided to leave Ferrari for a new challenge, taking on the role of technical director at Cadillac. This move to Cadillac’s LMDh program represents a new and exciting chapter in Padros’ career. His extensive background in F1, particularly his time at Ferrari, is expected to bring a wealth of experience to Cadillac’s efforts in the WEC and IMSA series, where they compete against some of the top manufacturers in motorsport.

Before joining Ferrari, Padros had a notable career in motorsport, working with Williams F1 and Richard Childress Racing in NASCAR. His move to Cadillac is a testament to his diverse skill set and adaptability in various motorsport environments. With a strong technical background and a proven track record in the F1 paddock, Padros’ expertise will be a valuable asset as Cadillac continues to strengthen its position in the highly competitive world of endurance racing.

For Ferrari, this loss is a blow, as Padros was not only a key figure in Leclerc’s camp but also a respected engineer within the team. However, the team will likely focus on the positives of their exciting new lineup, particularly with the arrival of Hamilton. As Ferrari continues to build for the future, Hamilton’s presence is expected to elevate their prospects on the track, bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge that could complement Leclerc’s already impressive talents.

With Padros now at Cadillac, the focus for Ferrari will shift to finding a suitable replacement for the veteran engineer. The team’s technical staff remains strong, with new talent emerging and their established engineers continuing to work on key developments. Nevertheless, losing a figure like Padros does raise questions about how Ferrari will adjust their operations, particularly in terms of engineering support for Leclerc as he heads into what could be a pivotal season in his F1 career.

Padros’ departure highlights a growing trend in motorsport, where top-level engineers and technicians are moving between series and teams, further blurring the lines between Formula 1 and other major motorsport disciplines. As the boundaries between different racing series continue to evolve, Padros’ transition from Ferrari to Cadillac signals a shift in the dynamic of high-level motorsport engineering.

In the coming months, Padros will undoubtedly begin to make his mark on Cadillac’s LMDh program, working closely with their engineers to help develop a competitive car for the world’s most prestigious endurance racing events. It remains to be seen how his departure will affect Ferrari’s performance in the 2025 F1 season, but for now, all eyes are on the team as they prepare for a new era with Hamilton at the wheel.