Ben Agathangelou
Encyclopedia
Panayiotis "Ben" Agathangelou (born 4 November 1971 in Hackney
, London
) is a British
automotive engineer, specialising in aerodynamics, who currently works for the HRT Formula One
team.
before joining the McLaren
F1 team in 1994, where he stayed for three years. After a year at Tyrrell
, he moved to Honda and helped to design the Honda RA099
test car, which was ultimately never raced due to the sudden death of Harvey Postlethwaite
, the project's technical director.
He was hired by Benetton
in 1999, before moving to Jaguar
two years later. He designed the team's 2003 car, the R3
, and the first Red Bull
cars after the team was sold to the drinks company in 2005. He left the team in 2007 after a personnel shake-up caused by the arrival of Adrian Newey
.
He returned to Formula One in 2010 after being recruited by the new Hispania Racing F1 Team.
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
automotive engineer, specialising in aerodynamics, who currently works for the HRT 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.
Career
Agathangelou studied aeronautics and astronautics at the University of SouthamptonUniversity of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
before joining the McLaren
McLaren
McLaren Racing Limited, trading as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, is a British Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed and won in the Indianapolis 500 and Canadian-American Challenge Cup...
F1 team in 1994, where he stayed for three years. After a year at Tyrrell
Tyrrell Racing
The Tyrrell Racing Organisation was an auto racing team and Formula One constructor founded by Ken Tyrrell which started racing in 1958 and started building its own cars in 1970. The team experienced its greatest success in the early 1970s, when it won three drivers' championships and one...
, he moved to Honda and helped to design the Honda RA099
Honda RA099
The Honda RA099 was a prototype Formula One racecar, commissioned by Honda, designed by ex-Ferrari and Tyrrell designer Dr. Harvey Postlethwaite and built by Dallara in 1999...
test car, which was ultimately never raced due to the sudden death of Harvey Postlethwaite
Harvey Postlethwaite
Harvey Postlethwaite was a British engineer and Technical Director of several Formula One teams during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. He died of a heart attack in Spain while supervising the testing of the abortive Honda F1 project...
, the project's technical director.
He was hired by Benetton
Benetton Formula
Benetton Formula Ltd., commonly referred to simply as Benetton, was a Formula One constructor that participated from to . The team was owned by the Benetton family who run a worldwide chain of clothing stores of the same name. In 2000 the team was purchased by Renault, but competed as Benetton for...
in 1999, before moving to Jaguar
Jaguar Racing
Jaguar Racing was a Formula One team that competed in the FIA Formula One World Championship from 2000 to 2004. It was formed from the purchase by Ford of Jackie Stewart's Stewart Grand Prix Formula One team in June 1999. Ford renamed the team Jaguar Racing as part of its global marketing...
two years later. He designed the team's 2003 car, the R3
Jaguar R3
The Jaguar R3 is a Formula One racing car with which Jaguar Racing competed in the 2002 Formula One season. The car was launched on January 4, 2002. It was driven by Eddie Irvine and Pedro de la Rosa, both retained from 2001....
, and the first Red Bull
Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing is a Formula One racing team based in Milton Keynes, England which currently holds an Austrian licence. It is, along with Scuderia Toro Rosso, one of two teams owned by beverage company Red Bull GmbH. The team have won two Constructors' Championship titles, in and , becoming the...
cars after the team was sold to the drinks company in 2005. He left the team in 2007 after a personnel shake-up caused by the arrival of Adrian Newey
Adrian Newey
Adrian Newey is a notable Formula One engineer and widely regarded one of the great engineers in the sport's history. He is the only designer to have won Constructors Championships with three different Formula One teams...
.
He returned to Formula One in 2010 after being recruited by the new Hispania Racing F1 Team.