Pat Symonds will make his return to Formula One this year after being banned from the sport for his involvement in the crashgate race-fixing scandal of 2008.
The former-Renault executive director of engineering will return in a consultancy role with the Marussia Virgin Racing team.
His five-year ban from FIA events was overturned in January 2010 by a French court. This allowed him and his company, Neutrino Dynamics, to work for teams in a consultancy role. He does however remain banned from being employed within a team until 2013.
Virgin’s president Graeme Lowdon believes his experience will add value to the team.
“Pat is retained by one of our shareholders as an advisor, and he’s advising the team,” Lowdon told Autosport. “He’s allowed to do consultancy work through his company.
“Quite a few people in the team have worked with him in the past and all the technical guys are really, really excited. I can see only positive things.”
