Former Ferrari executive Michael Leiters in pole position to head McLaren Automotive
Former Ferrari executive Michael Leiters is reportedly in the pole position to head McLaren’s car making business, McLaren Automotive.
Leiters, who stepped down from his chief technology officer post in December, is among the candidates currently vetted to replace McLaren Automotive’s chief executive Mike Flewitt.
It is unclear whether Leiters has agreed to take over from Flewitt, who announced in October he would step down after eight years at the company’s helm, Sky News reported.
The change in management comes at a troubling time for the wider automotive industry, with pandemic and war-induced shortages hitting the global supply chain.
After it was forced to axe hundreds of jobs due to the pandemic, post-Covid the automotive maker’s financial performance improved, with strong demand reported for its limited production cars as well for its new hybrid model, the Artura.
Leiters’ potential appointment comes against the backdrop of rumours around a possible takeover by Audi.
Even though sources close to the matter have denied the suggestion, they admitted the British car maker was looking into potential collaborations in the context of its environmental strategy, Horizon 2030.