Loïc Serra is a French

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

engineer. He is currently the performance director at the Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport

team.

Career

Serra studied at

Arts et Métiers ParisTech Arts et Métiers ParisTech is a French engineering and research institute of higher education. It is a ''grande école'', recognized for leading in the fields of mechanics and industrialization. Founded in 1780, it is among the oldest French ins ...

Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Ais de Provença in classical norm, or in Mistralian norm, ; la, Aquae Sextiae), or simply Aix ( medieval Occitan: ''Aics''), is a city and commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. ...

and

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, specialising in Mechanical Engineering. After graduating from university, Serra started his career in motorsport with

Michelin Michelin (; ; full name: ) is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes ''région'' of France. It is the second largest tyre manufacturer in the world behind Bridgestone and la ...

, working as a quality engineer in

Bad Kreuznach Bad Kreuznach () is a town in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a spa town, most well known for its medieval bridge dating from around 1300, the Alte Nahebrücke, which is one of the few remaining bridges in th ...

, Germany, before moving to the company's main Research and Development centre in

Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand (, ; ; oc, label=Auvergnat (dialect), Auvergnat, Clarmont-Ferrand or Clharmou ; la, Augustonemetum) is a city and Communes of France, commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions of France, region, with a population ...

, France. His department worked on new tyres and suspension concepts allowing Serra to gain a deep understanding in vehicle dynamics and tyre interactions. In 2002, Serra was given the task to develop a new innovative suspension system for racing cars and other high-performance vehicles. This suspension system was proposed to the Michelin customer teams in Formula One and formed Serra's first encounter with the series. Shortly afterwards, Serra joined the F1 department at Michelin and remained there until the tyre manufacturer withdrew from the series in 2006. However, Serra wished to stay in Formula One, so he joined the BMW Sauber F1 Team to become the Head of Vehicle Performance for the Swiss team. After BMW's withdrawal from Formula One, Serra decided to seek a new challenge so he joined the new

Mercedes Mercedes may refer to: People * Mercedes (name), a Spanish feminine name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or last name Automobile-related * Mercedes (marque), the pre-1926 brand name of German automobile m ...

works team where he has remained ever since. In 2019, Serra was promoted to Performance Director at Mercedes. His role involves working with tyre, suspension, aerodynamic and Power Unit experts to ensure the various characteristics work towards an overall package that is both fast and reliable.

References

1972 births Living people 21st-century French engineers Formula One people Sauber Motorsport Mercedes-Benz in Formula One {{autoracing-bio-stub