From F1 to Supercars: Penrite’s new race engineer

Riccardo Corte, Lewis Hamilton’s performance engineer at Scuderia Ferrari, signs with Penrite Grove Racing mid-way through the F1 season. As of 2026, Corte will be working with up-and-coming Supercars driver Kai Allen, of car 26.

(Image credit to Nine Sports)

Riccardo Corte’s career

Since 2014, Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team has been home to the mind of motorsport engineer Riccardo Corte, spanning a successful 11 years in the Formula industry as not only a driver coach, but also as a performance engineer. Corte has held various senior roles within Ferrari’s simulation department, vehicle dynamics, and overall development roles, working with the likes of Charles Leclerc and previous Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz. Currently, he is Lewis Hamilton’s performance engineer, assisting the 7-time world champion after his departure from the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 team. After the Belgian Grand Prix, however, sources claim that Corte was moved into a new development role. Following this, on the 1st of November, the Australian Supercars team Penrite Grove Racing made an official announcement stating that Riccardo Corte would be joining their team as the new race engineer for Kai Allen.

International relationships

Although no sources have stated whether Corte’s decision to leave was made due to growing tensions within the Ferrari engineering team, talks between Charles Leclerc’s performance engineer and the CEO of Penrite Grove Racing have been revealed. Johanne Hatz, Charles Leclerc’s current performance engineer, raised a conversation about Corte’s future with Brenton Grove, the son of team owner Stephen Grove. Penrite Grove Racing’s connections to the 24 Hours of Le Mans following their first time competing in the endurance race led to numerous Formula 1 relationships, including a friendship between Hatz and Grove. Reaching out mid-way through the 2025 Formula 1 season, Hatz stated that he knew of a qualified engineer who was looking for a new position in motorsports and was willing to come out to Australia for the Supercars Championship.

Penrite Grove Racing’s future in motorsport

Penrite has been a major sponsor for the Supercars Championship since 2015 and an official partner with Grove Racing since 2021. The Grove Racing team only made their debut in Supercars in 2021 when securing a major sponsorship with Penrite, but has been a prominent racing team at the Bathurst 12-hour. Throughout Penrite Racing’s involvement with the Supercars, Alistair McVean has provided engineering knowledge to drivers like David Reynolds, Richie Stanaway, and Kai Allen since 2021. The announcement of Riccardo Corte joining Penrite follows McVean’s promotion into the head role of performance and engineering at Penrite, allowing for Corte to take over as Kai Allen's engineer for the 2026 season. CEO Brenton Grove has come out expressing his excitement with Corte joining the team, saying in an Instagram post, “Riccardo’s background at Ferrari gives him a unique perspective on vehicle dynamics, simulation, and race-weekend execution at the absolute highest level.” Penrite has been an innovative team in Supercars since their debut, developing youth pathways and advanced digital engineering tools in order to remain at the peak of motorsport performance. Brenton further commented on Riccardo’s experience in Formula 1, which is considered the top level of motorsport: “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.”

Corte’s supercar career

Corte made his own post addressing his new employment at Penrite Grove Racing, saying “I’m really proud to be joining Grove Racing at such an exciting time for the team.” This follows Penrite's recent victory in Australia’s largest motorsport race, the Bathurst 1000, which has been occurring annually for 60 years at Mount Panorama. Kai Allen, who Corte will be engineering, placed 8th in a chaotic race of crashes and downpours, while his team-mate, Mathew Payne, and his co-driver, Garth Tander, placed first on the podium.

This new level of engineering at Penrite Grove Racing promises for an exciting Supercars season in 2026, demonstrating the complexity of the motorsport levels in the world and the development of Supercars as a highly respected sport.

Article written by Gabriella Pugh Ⓒ Gabriella Pugh 2025