Mike Flewitt, McLaren's former CEO, stepped down at the end of October last year. "I am immensely delighted to have led McLaren Automotive over the majority of its first, highly successful decade and am blessed to have played a part in the wonderful McLaren tale," he said at the time. However, the reins haven't been in permanent hands since his departure. Michael Macht, a McLaren non-executive director, has been in control of operations, although the company is currently looking for a new CEO. However, the rumor mill has been spinning, and it now appears like McLaren has found the ideal successor. From the house of Ferrari.

Bloomberg reported that the McLaren board is in talks with Michael Leiters, the former Ferrari chief technology officer, according to an unidentified source. Leiters left Ferrari around the end of last year, so he's most likely responsible for the most of the current lineup, including the new Ferrari 296 GTS.

It isn't a done thing, though. Leiters is one of the top contenders for the role, according to the same source.

It's no secret that McLaren is now experiencing financial difficulties. The epidemic dramatically cut demand for supercars, and their F1 team has been battling to reclaim its former position at the top of the constructors' championship for years.

Despite this, there is a lot of interest in the firm. The brand has been the subject of several speculations. BMW appears to want a slice of the road vehicle pie, while Audi wants a piece of the Formula One pie.

When Ferrari's new CEO, Benedetto Vigna, took over, Leiters was one of three top executives that left the business. While the details of the affair will most likely remain a secret owing to nondisclosure agreements, Leiters and his other executives appeared to disagree on how Ferrari should proceed.

In other words, they probably saw the Ferrari Purosangue and opted to depart before the launch of the legendary Italian supercar manufacturer's new SUV.