Williams hires ex-Ferrari man as head of aero

Williams has appointed former Ferrari chief aerodynamicist Dirk de Beer as the team's new head of aerodynamics.

Having been at Ferrari since 2013, de Beer announced his departure from Maranello last season and has now been confirmed as joining Williams on March 1. Prior to working at Ferrari, the South African spent five years at Renault – later called Lotus – where he was also head of aerodynamics. His first foray into Formula 1 came with Sauber having worked on IndyCar design for Swift Engineering in the late 1990s.

Amid a number of technical moves in F1 this winter, de Beer will now head up the aerodynamic department at Grove and says he hopes to make an impact on the 2017 car's in-season development.

"I am extremely pleased to be joining Williams," de Beer said. "The team has an incredible heritage in Formula 1, and I'm proud to now be a part of that. I'm looking forward to working with Dave Wheater and the Williams aero team to help continue driving forward the development of the car throughout the season and beyond. I would like to thank Williams for giving me this opportunity."

Deputy team principal Claire Williams believes de Beer will prove to be a key member of the team as it looks to improve on last season's finish of fifth place in the constructors' championship.

"We're delighted to have someone with Dirk's vast experience joining us," Williams said. "Having spent several years as a head of aerodynamics in Formula 1, his knowledge and technical expertise will undoubtedly be a great asset to the team in our continued push to restore Williams to the front of the grid."

Confirmation of de Beer's move comes on the same day Mercedes named James Allison – who used to work with de Beer at Ferrari – as its new technical director, also starting on March 1. Williams is also expected to announce the arrival of Paddy Lowe as a senior technical figure in the near future.