Penrite Racing signs Ferrari Formula 1 engineer

Penrite Racing has pulled off a major coup, signing Riccardo Corte as Race Engineer on Kai Allen’s Ford Mustang for the 2026 Supercars season.

Corte arrives from the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 Team, where he most recently served as Lewis Hamilton’s Performance Engineer during the first half of the 2025 Formula 1 season.

He held senior roles across the simulation department and the vehicle dynamics team, and also worked with the likes of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

Corte replaces Alistair McVean, who has been promoted to new role of Head of Performance. Bathurst-winning engineer McVean has been with the team since 2021, engineering Allen, David Reynolds and Richie Stanaway.

The news comes after the team announced David Cauchi will depart his Team Principal pole at the end of the season.

“I’m really proud to be joining Grove Racing at such an exciting time for the team. The progress they’ve made in recent seasons is impressive, and the Bathurst 1000-win shows what’s possible with the right people and mindset,” Corte said.

“After eleven years at Ferrari F1, I’m looking forward to bringing that experience into Supercars, helping the team keep pushing forward and maximising every opportunity on track.”

McVean has led rookie Allen to the Semi Final at Sandown, with the rising star already sitting on a haul of five podiums for the season.

McVean said: “It’s an exciting step to move into this role and continue shaping the engineering direction of Grove Racing.

"We’ve built strong foundations, and my focus is on refining our tools, processes, and people so we can keep lifting our standards and extracting every bit of performance possible.”

Team owner Stephen Grove said: “Riccardo’s appointment represents another major step forward for Grove Racing.

"His eleven years of experience at Ferrari F1, and his work as Lewis Hamilton’s Performance Engineer earlier this year, bring incredible depth and understanding to our program.

"We’re proud to welcome him to the team and it speaks to the calibre of people we have at Grove Racing.

“Alistair’s influence has been central to our progress. His promotion recognises his leadership and ensures his expertise continues to guide the growth of our engineering program.”

Grove Racing CEO Brenton Grove added: “Riccardo’s background at Ferrari gives him a unique perspective on vehicle dynamics, simulation, and race-weekend execution at the absolute highest level.

"His addition to the team allows us to test ourselves against the most sophisticated motorsport category in the world to ensure we remain innovative and at the peak of our game.”

“Al’s technical experience adds an engineering depth that strengthens every part of our program. Working alongside Jack [Bell, Matt Payne’s engineer, Riccardo, and the wider engineering group, he’ll help ensure our race engineers have the tools, data, and structure needed for consistent excellence. This role is a key part of building a sustainable, high-performance foundation for the future.”

Payne and Allen's Finals campaigns resume at the Penrite Oil Sandown 500 on November 14-16. Tickets are on sale now. International fans can watch on SuperView.