By Andrew Clarke
Date posted: 2 November 2025
Grove Racing has proven again it will not stand in its quest to be the best in the Supercars pitlane, this time securing former Ferrari Formula 1 engineer Riccardo Corte as race engineer for rising star Kai Allen in 2026, as part of a broader engineering shuffle following team principal David Cauchi’s decision to move on.
Corte arrives with more than a decade at Maranello under his belt, including a stint as Lewis Hamilton’s Performance Engineer during the opening half of the 2025 F1 season. He also worked closely with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz and held roles in simulation and vehicle dynamics.
The Italian’s move to Supercars continues Grove’s recent strategy of loading its engineering department with top-shelf international talent following its breakthrough 2025 Bathurst 1000 win.
“Riccardo’s appointment represents another major step forward,” team owner Stephen Grove said.
“His eleven years of experience at Ferrari F1 brings incredible depth and understanding to our program.”
CEO Brenton Grove said Corte’s background will have an immediate impact.
“His experience in vehicle dynamics, simulation, and race-weekend execution at the absolute highest level gives us fresh perspective,” he said.
Corte said the team’s Bathurst win proved the squad is on the right trajectory.
“I’m proud to be joining at such an exciting time,” Corte said. “I look forward to bringing my experience to Supercars and helping maximise every opportunity on track.”
In a parallel move, Grove has promoted long-time engineer Alistair McVean to the newly created role of Head of Performance.
McVean has been with the organisation since its formation, helping guide it to multiple podiums and its maiden Supercars win.
“Alistair’s influence has been central to our progress,” Stephen Grove said. “This promotion ensures his expertise continues to guide the growth of our engineering program.”
Brenton Grove said the new structure improves capability across the board.
“Al will help ensure our engineers have the tools, data and structure for consistent excellence,” he said.
McVean said the focus now is on maximising performance across all systems.
“We’ve built strong foundations — now it’s about refining our tools, processes and people so we can keep lifting our standards,” he said.
About Riccardo Corte
Riccardo Corte spent more than a decade with Scuderia Ferrari, joining its Formula 1 program in the early 2010s after working in vehicle simulation and performance analysis roles within the Maranello organisation. He progressed through the ranks to become part of Ferrari’s trackside engineering group, contributing to race-day strategy and car development during the Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc eras.
In 2025, Corte served as Lewis Hamilton’s performance engineer during the Briton’s first season with Ferrari before accepting Grove Racing’s offer to move to Australia. His appointment continues a long tradition of Formula 1 technical talent filtering into Supercars, following figures such as Adrian Burgess, John Russell and Tim Edwards who also transitioned from grand prix paddocks to pit lanes closer to home.
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