Xavier Mestelan Pinon

FIA Chief Technical and Safety Officer

Graduating with an engineering degree from ESTACA in 1995, Xavier began his career at Citroën Sport as Head of the Technical Department for the Customer Program, overseeing the development of the Saxo and Xsara for both rally and circuit racing.

In 2001, he joined Citroën’s factory team to support the brand’s debut in the World Rally Championship (WRC).

Promoted to Citroën Racing Technical Director in 2005, he further expanded his role by becoming Deputy Team Principal in 2011. From 2014, he led both the WRC and WTCC program. A period marked by multiple World Championship titles for both Manufacturers and Drivers.

In 2016, he was appointed Director of DS Performance, tasked with building DS Automobiles’ motorsport division and launching the brand into Formula E. Under his leadership, the team achieved back-to-back Team and Driver titles (Jean-Éric Vergne and António Félix da Costa).

In April 2021, Xavier joined the FIA as Technical Director, supporting motorsport and its stakeholders in navigating the energy transition. In 2023, he was appointed Chief Technical and Safety Officer, with a mission to ensure also a safer and more accessible future for motorsport.