Ferrari has further strengthened its aerodynamic department at the expense of its rival, McLaren, after signing a handful of the outfit’s former engineers.
The Italian outfit, which has been lacking in the aero department since the team opted to focus on employing home-grown engineers, is now looking to get back on track after struggling to match the might of McLaren and Red Bull of late.
“We have a long tradition of mechanical engineering but we have no tradition in aerodynamics,” the company’s president, Luca di Montezemolo was quoted as saying recently.
Pat Fry’s move from Woking to Maranello signalled the change as he replaced Italian Aldo Costa as technical director in 2010.
Fry’s connections within McLaren saw Giacomo Tortora, a specialist in aerodynamics and simulation studies, move to Ferrari a couple of months ago.
Tortora’s departure to Ferrari was mirrored by Rupad Darek, also an expert in the field of aerodynamics, Chris Heal and Lawrence Hodge, all former McLaren employees now working with Ferrari as of 2012.
The latest rumoured departure from Woking is Bdukoski Martin, an experienced project manager and graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris and Imperial College of London.
The exodus will surely worry McLaren as aerodynamics play an ever increasing role in a teams success on track.
