Ferrari recruits another key figure from Lotus

Ferrari have been trying hard to regain their lost ground in the Formula One championship. The Italian team’s attempt to end their title drought has gained momentum in the past few months.

Earlier this year, they signed former Lotus technical director James Allison as preparation for their 2014 challenge. Then, just a few days back, they re-hired former world champion Kimi Raikkonen as a replacement for the Brazilian Felipe Massa.

Now, the Maranello-based outfit seem to have completed their hat trick of big signings with the head of aerodynamics for Lotus, Dirk de Beer reportedly set to join them starting next year. Most probably, de Beer will work in co-ordination with Ferrari’s current head of aerodynamics Loic Bigois.

Ferrari’s gain has been Lotus’s loss. All the three key figures, Allison, Raikkonen and now de Beer, are from Lotus. It is widely considered that it was Allison who told the Ferrari top brass to sign Raikkonen and de Beer since the trio share a good professional rapport; and given what Allison did in his first stint in Ferrari when he partnered with Michael Schumacher to grab five back-to-back championships, it seems that the team bosses decided to give Allison what he wants.