Ex-Ferrari man hired as Williams' new head of aero

The Williams F1 team has announced that it has appointed Dirk de Beer as its new head of aerodynamics.

De Beer previously held the role of chief aerodynamicist at Ferrari for three years, having been appointed by then-technical director James Allison. However when Allison left the team in July, de Beer also quickly departed Maranello a few weeks later.

Ferrari appoints new chief aerodynamicist

De Beer was unveiled in his new role at Williams on the same day that his former boss Allison was formally announced as joining Mercedes.

"I am extremely pleased to be joining Williams," said de Beer. "The team has an incredible heritage in Formula One, and I’m proud to now be a part of that.

"I would like to thank Williams for giving me this opportunity.

"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.

Williams F1's deputy team principal Claire Williams welcomed the South African to the team, which is effective from March 1.

"We’re delighted to have someone with Dirk’s vast experience joining us," she said. "Having spent several years as a Head of Aerodynamics in Formula One, 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."

De Beer began his career at Swift Engineering, where he worked primarily on IndyCar design before going on to enjoy a brief spell at Sauber F1 Team as an Aerodynamicist.

He joined Renault (subsequently called Lotus F1 Team) in 2008, and after five years in the role of head of aerodynamics there he took up a corresponding role at Ferrari in 2013.

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.