Engineering staff reshuffle at Ferrari

Ferrari has just confirmed a reshuffling of its staff for the 2009 season.

Despite its victory in the Constructors’ World Championship this year, the team did not hesitate to make a number of changes that it hopes will be beneficial in the quest for new success in 2009.

Thus, the Italian team recruited the team manager of Scuderia Toro Rosso, Massimo Rivola, to oversee sports activities and logistics. Kimi Räikkönen will have a new race engineer in the person of Andrea Stella.

Team principal Stefano Domenicali confirmed the changes and restructuring of the team during a press conference before the Christmas break.

« Mario Almondo, director of operations until now, becomes the quality manager within the Industrial Management department, » he stated to the Gazzetta dello Sport.

« Massimo Rivola will manage the sporting activities as well as logistics, regulations, and circuits. Production and race quality will be under the direction of Aldo Costa. »

« We will also have some changes in our overall organization, still led by Luca Baldisserri. Andrea Stella, who worked on Räikkönen’s car as an engineer, has been promoted to race engineer, while Chris Dyer (former race engineer for Räikkönen) has been appointed to a coordination role among the engineers, including those in charge of testing. He will report directly to Baldisserri. »

« Diego Ioverno will be in charge of the assembly, with the help of Mick Ainsley-Cowlinshaw (former Super-Aguri team manager). We will finally have a man responsible for the development of the KERS: that will be Thierry Baritaud. »