Brain drain at McLaren

Public topics not directly related to NAR, for example real F1 racing.
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Kaali
Posts: 347
Joined: 02 Oct 2005, 02:33
Location: Nuuk, Greenland

Brain drain at McLaren

Post by Kaali »

Following taken from autosport:
Red Bull Racing have signed McLaren's head of aerodynamic development Peter Prodromou, senior sources at the team have confirmed to autosport.com.

Just weeks after McLaren's former technical director Adrian Newey joined Red Bull Racing after agreeing a deal last year, the team have now reached an agreement for Prodromou to join them when his current contract expires.

Prodromou worked with Newey in helping create the new McLaren MP4-21 and his departure would serve as another blow to the team.

McLaren are also expected to lose vehicle project director Nicholas Tombazis when his contract ends later this year, with speculation suggesting that he could be on his way to back to his former team Ferrari.

The Italian team's technical director Ross Brawn was asked about Tombazis's return at the team launch on Tuesday, but the Briton declined to comment, stating only that Ferrari will continue to "strengthen the organisation."

McLaren have so far declined to comment on the news of Prodromou's departure, but only this week the team's CEO Martin Whitmarsh dismissed reports of further staff leaving McLaren following Newey's departure.

"Aside from Adrian [Newey], I don't recall any senior people or middle ranking people from engineering that are departing," Whitmarsh told a teleconference on Monday.

"I have seen the stories (about Prodromou and Tombazis), but we have not had the turnover of staff that I have seen commented on in the media."
What's going on Ron D? Put yourself together.

P.S. I can't help thinking about what is going on in Fernando Alonso's head? I wonder if he begins to regret his signing with M and M's? Unless of course things really look bad at Renault.
User avatar
Kaali
Posts: 347
Joined: 02 Oct 2005, 02:33
Location: Nuuk, Greenland

Post by Kaali »

Available parking lots at McLaren increases all the time.
Ferrari have confirmed today that Nicholas Tombazis will rejoin the team next month, taking the position of Chief Designer.

Tombazis, who worked as chief aerodynamicist at Ferrari, left the Maranello team at the end of 2003 to join McLaren as Chief Engineer Aerodynamics. Last year he was promoted to Vehicle Project Director.

The 38-year-old, who began his F1 career at Benetton in 1992, has been rumoured to leave McLaren for a couple of months now, but the Woking-based outfit previously denied he would be leaving.

Tombazis returns to Ferrari to take the place of Aldo Costa, who in turn has been promoted to Head of Design and Development Department. Costa will be under Technical Director Ross Brawn.

Ferrari further confirmed Rory Byrne will continue working with the team, assuming a new position titled Design and Development Consultant. He too will be reporting directly to Brawn.
source: autosport.com

Red Bull and Ferrari have gradually ripped most of McLaren's design department.
It's not hard, when you know how......
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