Ferrari chief set for exit?

Ferrari technical chief James Allison could be set to leave the Scuderia, according to reports in the Italian press.

Allison’s future has been in doubt since his wife, Rebecca, died suddenly from meningitis in March.

Since joining Ferrari in 2013, the 48-year-old has commuted from England, where his wife and three children lived, to the Scuderia’s headquarters in Italy. However, Allison is now reportedly considering a return to Renault, who are based in England, in order to spend more time with his children.

Should Allison depart, it has been suggested that former Ferrari guru Ross Brawn may return to the team, but according to a report in La Gazzetta dello Sport it is more likely that the Italian outfit will promote chief designer Simone Resta or look to sign Toro Rosso’s James Key.

“Brawn recently declined offers to return to F1 and would not be willing for such a demanding role,” La Gazetta’s Luigi Perna wrote. “Not to mention that F1 has changed in the several years he has been outside of the sport.”

Ferrari have previously denied that Allison is looking to leave the team.

“The only comment is that it is absolutely not true, James is our technical director,” Maurizio Arrivabene said in June.

“What he went through, I don’t wish on anybody to go through a period like James went through.

“We are all around him and he is with us, which is the most important thing.

“So, talking about him in that way over the last few days, it is a lack of respect, I think. I am sorry to say so.”