Rory Byrne is back

[Lorenzo_Bandini]

http://www.totalf1.com/full_story/view/ ... um=twitter

Sep.27 (GMM) Rory Byrne is making a return to Formula 1 with Ferrari, according to two authoritative figures, including former team manager Joan Villadelprat, who writes a column in the Spanish newspaper El Pais.

“Rory Byrne, the brain behind the great Michael Schumacher era, has decided to return to work with Ferrari’s new (technical) boss Pat Fry,” he wrote.

South African designer Byrne handed over his role to the now-ousted Aldo Costa in 2006, staying as a consultant in recent years before retiring completely.

AS newspaper correspondent Manuel Franco also reported the news about Byrne this week, admitting that Ferrari at present is “determined to deny it”.

“Officially the 2012 car has been designed by Nicholas Tombazis, but Byrne has been there,” Franco insisted.

Very good news if it's true

[raymondu999]

I don't see what's new. He never left, he was always a Ferrari guy and always helped with laying out concepts

[Gerhard Berger]

There are also these rumours on twitter, but nothing official from Ferrari yet.

[shelly]

agree with raymondu: hea has always been there more or less. Maybe this year they are willing to use him a bit more, or maybe it is himself that has asked for more involvement.

[munudeges]

With that organisational structure Ferrari have in place I can't see how he will fit in. He's not going to be the Technical Director apparently so what he'll actually be able to do I have no idea.

[raymondu999]

At most I think he will be in there to contribute in terms of concepts; give them a general direction in which to work with. But for the nitty-gritty detail and design work, that would still fall back to the Tombazis/Marmorini/Fry combo

[shelly]

Yes there are, and there have been a lot of doubles in Ferrari's hierarchy.
Costa and Tombazis from 2006 to 2011 come to mind for example.
There is the technical director, the chief designer, the top-consultant.

Also techical director has dffernt shades of technical to it: Iirc, in 2007 this position was held by Mario Almondo, who is a manager, not a technical guy; before it was Ross Brawn, a more tech guy, but not a chief designer (he was part of the Brawn-Byrne ticket).

Tombazis is an aero guy. Fearrari called him back in 2006, and I think he asked for promotion to chief designer. From then on, Tombazis, Costa and Byrne have been responible for design.

It seems now that Tombazis has been focused back on aero, which is the subject he is more expert of; Costa has been shown the door, Fry is TD.
Who is the chief designer of the car?

[raymondu999]

I never understood the nomenclature; what does a "chief designer," design?

[munudeges]

For me the whole structure just seems to be far, far too confusing. The problem is that to beat Red Bull I think you need real clarity there and I just don't see it.

Fry effectively is TD, but it's a job title they seem to have fudged. That's not a good sign IMHO.

[shelly]

Chief designer is the person who makes the choices about the car, its concept, layout and evolution.

[raymondu999]

Now I don't get that; why would that not be "technical director?" I mean, I'm sure for example at RBR that the chief technical officer (Newey) would be doing that job; not Rob Marshall

[shelly]

Marshall is listed in rbr as chief designer, but I think that means "haed of the design office" which is yet another role.

[Mr.S]

[...] The fact is Rory Byrne is a legend & has worked in similar roles under Ross Brawn when ferrari owned the entire grid. Wether he does the same with a Fry as TD remains to be seen but it does sound very stupid & self-righteous that all teams will make structures to please fan forums. They know what they are doing.

[raymondu999]

I think you'll find that it's not that we're calling for a change to the structure of the technical department, but rather it's that we don't understand the structure and our curiosity would like to know more about it

[Gerhard Berger]

Yes there are, and there have been a lot of doubles in Ferrari's hierarchy.
Costa and Tombazis from 2006 to 2011 come to mind for example.
There is the technical director, the chief designer, the top-consultant.

Also techical director has dffernt shades of technical to it: Iirc, in 2007 this position was held by Mario Almondo, who is a manager, not a technical guy; before it was Ross Brawn, a more tech guy, but not a chief designer (he was part of the Brawn-Byrne ticket).

Tombazis is an aero guy. Fearrari called him back in 2006, and I think he asked for promotion to chief designer. From then on, Tombazis, Costa and Byrne have been responible for design.

It seems now that Tombazis has been focused back on aero, which is the subject he is more expert of; Costa has been shown the door, Fry is TD.
Who is the chief designer of the car?

As far as i know, Hennel is the head of aero, though in an interview with Fry a few months ago, he did say he found Tombazis working in a more mechanical role, but since then he has moved him into a more aero related role. It seems that the role of technical director is covered by a few people (including Domenicalli and Fry).