Caterham F1 Team has announced that its Technical Department, under the leadership of Technical Director Mark Smith, has been restructured to strengthen further the organisational structure as the team prepares to face the challenges presented by the 2014 regulation changes.
The primary changes to the team’s organisational structure see Jody Egginton, currently Operations Director of the team, promoted to Deputy Technical Director with immediate effect and Performance Director John Iley broaden his role to include management of an Advanced Projects Group, looking at future innovation that can be applied to the F1 team and all of Caterham’s automotive and technological interests.
Jody was among the first people to join Caterham F1 Team in 2009 as Chief Engineer. He moved from that role in late 2012 to Operations Director, taking control of all the team’s operational activity at its Leafield, UK base, a role in which he has overseen significant investment and dramatic improvements in the team’s production and manufacturing capabilities. His new Deputy Technical Director role will give Mark Smith and the team’s Design Office and on-track engineering functions the benefit of Jody experience and knowledge, skills which will be particularly important in 2014 with the introduction of new aerodynamic and powertrain regulations.
John Iley, whose role as Performance Director was recently adapted to give him a broader overview of all performance aspects of car design and operation, will add the newly formed Advanced Projects Group to his list of responsibilities, allowing him to lead a group that will look to the future for their inspiration as they create innovative new technical concepts that will be applied to the F1 team and the wider Caterham Group. John will also take a more active role with Mark Smith and Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul in managing the technical partnerships Caterham F1 Team has with Renault Sport F1 and Red Bull Technology - again, aiming to further strengthen partnerships that will be critical in 2014 in maximising performance.
Mark Smith, Technical Director, Caterham F1 Team: "I am pleased that both Jody and John have agreed to take on the enhanced responsibilities we are asking them to embrace as part of this reorganisation. Jody has many years of experience on the pitwall and in the factory that will be invaluable for our team in the latter stages of the 2013 season, and particularly as we head into 2014. John’s role will also enable him to take a broader view of all our performance characteristics, and will allow him to innovate - something that is crucial in F1 but which is often difficult to dedicate resource to, particularly for a young team like ours."