Aldo Costa
Encyclopedia
Aldo Costa is an Italian engineer and former Technical Director of the Ferrari
Formula One
team.
Costa was born in Parma
. After school, he continued studying and graduated from the University of Bologna
in mechanical engineering.
Costa started his F1 career as the chief designer for Minardi
in 1988 and became the technical director in 1989 after Giacomo Caliri
, ex-technical director of the team, left. Costa joined the Scuderia Ferrari
in 1995 and in 1998 became assistant to the team's Chief Designer, Rory Byrne
. When Byrne announced his intention to retire in 2004, Costa was named as his successor. Byrne credited the design of the 2005 Ferrari to Costa.
Before the 2006 season, Costa was promoted to be the Head of Design and Development at Ferrari, as the team announced Nicholas Tombazis
as their new Chief Designer. On 12 November 2007 Ferrari announced that Costa would take on the role of technical director. In May 2011, Ferrari announced that Costa had relinquished his position as technical director to take on new responsibilities within the company. Pat Fry
took over the role of Chief Designer at Scuderia Ferrari.
On 20 July 2011, it was announced that Costa would leave Ferrari by mutual agreement. On 30 September 2011 news surfaced that he would be joining Mercedes GP
as Engineering Director of the team.
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
team.
Costa was born in Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
. After school, he continued studying and graduated from the University of Bologna
University of Bologna
The Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university in the world, the word 'universitas' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...
in mechanical engineering.
Costa started his F1 career as the chief designer for Minardi
Minardi
Minardi was an automobile racing team and constructor founded in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. It competed in the Formula One World Championship from 1985 until 2005 with little success, nevertheless acquiring a loyal following of fans...
in 1988 and became the technical director in 1989 after Giacomo Caliri
Giacomo Caliri
Giacomo Caliri is an Italian former Formula One engineer.His racing career began in 1966 when Caliri graduated from Turin Polytechnic with a prize-winning thesis on aerodynamics....
, ex-technical director of the team, left. Costa joined the Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
in 1995 and in 1998 became assistant to the team's Chief Designer, Rory Byrne
Rory Byrne
Rory Byrne is a South African engineer and car designer, most famous for being the chief designer at the Benetton and Scuderia Ferrari Formula One teams....
. When Byrne announced his intention to retire in 2004, Costa was named as his successor. Byrne credited the design of the 2005 Ferrari to Costa.
Before the 2006 season, Costa was promoted to be the Head of Design and Development at Ferrari, as the team announced Nicholas Tombazis
Nicholas Tombazis
Nicholas Tombazis is the chief designer at Ferrari.He was employed at Ferrari as chief aerodynamicist before leaving to work at McLaren in .He returned to Ferrari on March 1, , to become chief designer....
as their new Chief Designer. On 12 November 2007 Ferrari announced that Costa would take on the role of technical director. In May 2011, Ferrari announced that Costa had relinquished his position as technical director to take on new responsibilities within the company. Pat Fry
Pat Fry
Pat Fry is an English motor racing engineer, presently the "technical director for the chassis division" of the Scuderia Ferrari Formula One team .-Early career:Fry was born in Shepperton, Surrey, England...
took over the role of Chief Designer at Scuderia Ferrari.
On 20 July 2011, it was announced that Costa would leave Ferrari by mutual agreement. On 30 September 2011 news surfaced that he would be joining Mercedes GP
Mercedes GP
Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team, the trading name of Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Limited, is a British-based Formula One racing team and constructor, owned by Mercedes-Benz and racing under a German licence since the 2010 season....
as Engineering Director of the team.