Changes to Ferrari technical department

Ferrari announced some changes to its technical department on February 2nd, with Rory Byrne taking a new position as design and development consultant, Aldo Costa taking over the design and development department and Nicholas Tombazis being appointed chief designer.

Previously the team's design chief, Byrne's contract with Ferrari was due to expire at the end of this season but he decided to stay on. "Rory is assuming a new position at Ferrari, he has agreed to stay with Ferrari for another two years," technical director Ross Brawn said recently.

"Rory will stay as a consultant working on projects that we agree together, primarily looking at projects for the future of Ferrari. Rory's got huge experience and we want to use that to our advantage." Byrne and designer Costa, who is largely responsible for the new 248 F1, will report to Brawn.

Tombazis returns to Ferrari after a stint with McLaren and is the third member of the Woking squad's technical team to leave in recent weeks. He was previously the Scuderia's chief aerodynamicist from 1998 then joined McLaren in 2004, first as chief aero engineer then as vehicle project director.