Rory Byrne
Encyclopedia
Rory Byrne is a South Africa
n engineer and car designer, most famous for being the chief designer at the Benetton
and Scuderia Ferrari
Formula One
teams.
Since joining Ferrari in 1997 Byrne designed cars have won over seventy Grands Prix
, seven constructors titles and six drivers titles. This outstanding record of success makes Byrne the most successful Formula One designer of the last decade, narrowly eclipsing rival Adrian Newey
, until the latter retook his lead with his successes in 2010 and 2011 with Red Bull.
, South Africa
, firstly as a competitor and later the technical aspects of the sport. After graduating in 1965 Byrne began working as a chemist but retained his fascination for racing until by the late 1960s he, with three friends Dave Collier, Ronny and Dougie Bennett, set up a company importing performance car parts called Auto Drag and Speed Den situated in Jules Street, Malvern, Johannesburg and later Voortrekker Road in Alberton. It was in this period that he first began to design racing cars, putting to use his mathematical knowledge even though he lacked formal engineering training. His first car, a Formula Ford
racer, was competitive and finished well in the 1972 championship.
Following his success in 1972 Byrne relocated to England
to pursue a career in racing car design. Purchasing an aging Royale
Formula Ford
car he began putting together the skills required improve the design and received a lucky break in 1973 when Royale founder Bob King decided to sell the team. The new owner needed an engineer to replace King, who had also been the cars designer, and offered the job to Rory Byrne, who spent the next four years designing a variety of cars for the Royale and its customers.
An introduction to Ted Toleman in 1977 offered the next opportunity for the thirty-three-year-old who was by now an established figure in British
motor racing. Toleman
was owner of a Formula 2 team and hired the South African as its designer. Several seasons of increasingly respectable results culminated in first and second place in the 1980 British Formula 2 championship. The team with Rory Byrne as its chief designer was now ready to make the jump into Formula One
.
. Two seasons passed before the fledgling team began to score points, but by the conclusion of the 1983 season Derek Warwick
and Bruno Giacomelli
had collected a very respectable 10 points - enough for the team to finish ninth in the constructors championship, and enough to earn Byrne credibility in the pit-lane. It was in the off-season of 1983/84 that Toleman signed Ayrton Senna
- a move that almost made Byrne, Senna and the team first time winners at that year's Monaco Grand Prix.
The team's steady progress towards the front of the grid was given a boost in 1985 when the Benetton family
announced plans to purchase Toleman. With more money, more resources and the most powerful engine available in the form of the inline-four turbocharged BMW
, it took only until October 1986 for Gerhard Berger
to secure the first win for himself, for the team and for a Byrne designed car at the Mexican Grand Prix
.
Over the following five seasons Rory Byrne designed cars took four more race wins but the Benetton
team was never in a position to truly challenge the likes of Ferrari
, Williams and McLaren, with most victories being taken on days when the competition faltered.
After a brief spell with the abortive Reynard
F1 project in 1991 Byrne returned to Benetton that fall. What he found was a changed team now firmly under the control of Flavio Briatore
and with hotshot Michael Schumacher
installed as number one driver. Byrne's B193 car was a substantial technical advancement on the previous season's car, incorporating a semi-automatic gearbox
, four-wheel steering, active suspension
and traction control
. The car took a single win in the hands of Schumacher, but everything was now in place for a title challenge in 1994.
It was immediately obvious at the first race of 1994 that Byrne's B194 chassis would be the car to beat. Critics suggested that the team's domination was more a result of an uncharacteristic slump by Williams star designer Adrian Newey
and accusations of cheating dogged the team for the entire season. A late-season charge by Williams robbed Byrne of his first constructors title, but with his motto of "Evolution Not Revolution", everything seemed set for more success in 1995.
With the accusations of cheating behind them the Benetton team secured both titles before the season was finished, finally Byrne had what he wanted most. His car had won the Formula One constructors crown. With the hugely influential Schumacher leaving Benetton for Ferrari at the end of the season the team began to fragment. Byrne announced that he would retire in 1996.
to build a team of engineers capable of returning the team to the top of the sport after years of underperforming. Benetton technical director Ross Brawn
was hired and Ferrari approached Rory Byrne to replace the team's existing chief designer John Barnard
who refused to re-locate to Italy
. After long negotiations Byrne was lured from his retirement in Thailand
back to Europe
where he began building a design office at Ferrari's Maranello
headquarters. By 2000 Ferrari were finally ready to challenge for the title and continued to build momentum in the following seasons. By the end of the 2004 season, Byrne-designed Ferraris had secured 71 race victories, six consecutive constructors titles and five consecutive drivers titles for Michael Schumacher with a sustained level of dominance never before seen in the sport.
In 2004 Rory Byrne announced that he would be retiring from Formula One at the end of the 2006 season, handing over the role of chief designer to Aldo Costa
, his assistant since 1998. On September 19, 2006, it was announced that Rory had extended his stay, as a consultant, at Ferrari for another two years which lead him until early 2009.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n engineer and car designer, most famous for being the chief designer at the 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...
and 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....
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...
teams.
Since joining Ferrari in 1997 Byrne designed cars have won over seventy Grands Prix
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
, seven constructors titles and six drivers titles. This outstanding record of success makes Byrne the most successful Formula One designer of the last decade, narrowly eclipsing rival 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...
, until the latter retook his lead with his successes in 2010 and 2011 with Red Bull.
Early career
Byrne became interested in motor racing at Witwatersrand University in JohannesburgJohannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, firstly as a competitor and later the technical aspects of the sport. After graduating in 1965 Byrne began working as a chemist but retained his fascination for racing until by the late 1960s he, with three friends Dave Collier, Ronny and Dougie Bennett, set up a company importing performance car parts called Auto Drag and Speed Den situated in Jules Street, Malvern, Johannesburg and later Voortrekker Road in Alberton. It was in this period that he first began to design racing cars, putting to use his mathematical knowledge even though he lacked formal engineering training. His first car, a Formula Ford
Formula Ford
Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing....
racer, was competitive and finished well in the 1972 championship.
Following his success in 1972 Byrne relocated to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to pursue a career in racing car design. Purchasing an aging Royale
Royale
- Transportation :* Bugatti Royale, a luxury automobile* Ford Royale, an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company* MS Royale, a cruise ship operated by several companies* Daewoo Royale, an automobile manufactured by Daewoo Motors...
Formula Ford
Formula Ford
Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing....
car he began putting together the skills required improve the design and received a lucky break in 1973 when Royale founder Bob King decided to sell the team. The new owner needed an engineer to replace King, who had also been the cars designer, and offered the job to Rory Byrne, who spent the next four years designing a variety of cars for the Royale and its customers.
An introduction to Ted Toleman in 1977 offered the next opportunity for the thirty-three-year-old who was by now an established figure in 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...
motor racing. Toleman
Toleman
Toleman Motosport was a Formula One constructor based in the UK. It was active between 1981 and 1985 and attended 70 Grands Prix.-Origins:In the 1970s, businessmen and motorsport fans Ted Toleman and Alex Hawkridge began their involvement in various car racing formulae in the UK. Ted was also noted...
was owner of a Formula 2 team and hired the South African as its designer. Several seasons of increasingly respectable results culminated in first and second place in the 1980 British Formula 2 championship. The team with Rory Byrne as its chief designer was now ready to make the jump into 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...
.
Formula One
The first Byrne-designed car to appear at a grand prix was the Hart-powered TG181. Lacking the finances to reach the first three long-haul races Toleman entered Formula One at the San Marino Grand PrixSan Marino Grand Prix
The San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One championship race which was run at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in the town of Imola, near the Apennine mountains in Italy, between 1981 and 2006...
. Two seasons passed before the fledgling team began to score points, but by the conclusion of the 1983 season Derek Warwick
Derek Warwick
Derek Stanley Arthur Warwick is a British former racing driver from England. He raced for many years in Formula One, but never won a Grand Prix. During the early 1980s he was thought more likely to achieve World Championship success than his contemporary Nigel Mansell, but a series of wrong...
and Bruno Giacomelli
Bruno Giacomelli
Bruno Giacomelli is a former racing driver from Italy.He won one of the two 1976 British Formula Three Championships and the 1978 Formula Two championship. He participated in 82 Formula One grands prix, debuting on September 11, 1977...
had collected a very respectable 10 points - enough for the team to finish ninth in the constructors championship, and enough to earn Byrne credibility in the pit-lane. It was in the off-season of 1983/84 that Toleman signed Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver. A three-time Formula One world champion, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time...
- a move that almost made Byrne, Senna and the team first time winners at that year's Monaco Grand Prix.
The team's steady progress towards the front of the grid was given a boost in 1985 when the Benetton family
Benetton family
Four members of the Italian Benetton family founded the Benetton Group S.p.A. fashion company in 1965. The three brothers and one sister were all born in Treviso, Veneto, Italy. Their father owned a bicycle shop...
announced plans to purchase Toleman. With more money, more resources and the most powerful engine available in the form of the inline-four turbocharged BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
, it took only until October 1986 for Gerhard Berger
Gerhard Berger
Gerhard Berger, is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver, who previously owned 50% of the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula One team until he sold his share back to energy drink owner Dietrich Mateschitz in November 2008....
to secure the first win for himself, for the team and for a Byrne designed car at the Mexican Grand Prix
Mexican Grand Prix
The Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One auto race held at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. It first appeared as a non-championship event in 1962 before being held as a championship event from 1963-1970 and 1986-1992....
.
Over the following five seasons Rory Byrne designed cars took four more race wins but the 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...
team was never in a position to truly challenge the likes of 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....
, Williams and McLaren, with most victories being taken on days when the competition faltered.
After a brief spell with the abortive Reynard
Reynard Motorsport
Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy...
F1 project in 1991 Byrne returned to Benetton that fall. What he found was a changed team now firmly under the control of Flavio Briatore
Flavio Briatore
Flavio Briatore is an Italian businessman. During the 1980s, he was convicted for multiple counts of fraud, receiving two prison sentences, only one of which he served. As a fugitive from Italy, he set up restaurants and then a number of successful Benneton franchises in the Virgin Islands and the...
and with hotshot Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is a German Formula One racing driver for the Mercedes GP team. Famous for his eleven-year spell with Ferrari, Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time...
installed as number one driver. Byrne's B193 car was a substantial technical advancement on the previous season's car, incorporating a semi-automatic gearbox
Semi-automatic transmission
A semi-automatic transmission is an automobile transmission that does not change gears automatically, but rather facilitates manual gear changes by dispensing with the need to press...
, four-wheel steering, active suspension
Active suspension
Active or adaptive suspension is an automotive technology that controls the vertical movement of the wheels with an onboard system rather than the movement being determined entirely by the road surface...
and traction control
Traction control system
A traction control system , also known as anti-slip regulation , is typically a secondary function of the anti-lock braking system on production motor vehicles, designed to prevent loss of traction of driven road wheels...
. The car took a single win in the hands of Schumacher, but everything was now in place for a title challenge in 1994.
It was immediately obvious at the first race of 1994 that Byrne's B194 chassis would be the car to beat. Critics suggested that the team's domination was more a result of an uncharacteristic slump by Williams star designer 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...
and accusations of cheating dogged the team for the entire season. A late-season charge by Williams robbed Byrne of his first constructors title, but with his motto of "Evolution Not Revolution", everything seemed set for more success in 1995.
With the accusations of cheating behind them the Benetton team secured both titles before the season was finished, finally Byrne had what he wanted most. His car had won the Formula One constructors crown. With the hugely influential Schumacher leaving Benetton for Ferrari at the end of the season the team began to fragment. Byrne announced that he would retire in 1996.
Ferrari
By the conclusion of the 1996 season Michael Schumacher was being given free rein at FerrariScuderia 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....
to build a team of engineers capable of returning the team to the top of the sport after years of underperforming. Benetton technical director Ross Brawn
Ross Brawn
Ross James Brawn OBE is an English motorsport engineer and Formula One team principal. He has worked for a number of Formula One teams, serving as the technical director of the championship-winning Benetton and Ferrari teams. He took a sabbatical from the sport in 2007 but returned to F1 for the...
was hired and Ferrari approached Rory Byrne to replace the team's existing chief designer John Barnard
John Barnard
John Barnard is a race car designer and is currently working alongside Terence Woodgate designing high specification carbon fibre furniture....
who refused to re-locate to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. After long negotiations Byrne was lured from his retirement in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
back to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
where he began building a design office at Ferrari's Maranello
Maranello
Maranello is a town and comune in the region of Emilia-Romagna in Northern Italy, 18 km from Modena, with a population of 16,841 as of 2009. It is best known as the home of Ferrari S.p.A. and the Scuderia Ferrari Formula One racing team...
headquarters. By 2000 Ferrari were finally ready to challenge for the title and continued to build momentum in the following seasons. By the end of the 2004 season, Byrne-designed Ferraris had secured 71 race victories, six consecutive constructors titles and five consecutive drivers titles for Michael Schumacher with a sustained level of dominance never before seen in the sport.
In 2004 Rory Byrne announced that he would be retiring from Formula One at the end of the 2006 season, handing over the role of chief designer to Aldo Costa
Aldo Costa
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....
, his assistant since 1998. On September 19, 2006, it was announced that Rory had extended his stay, as a consultant, at Ferrari for another two years which lead him until early 2009.
F1 Championships
Constructor Championships- 19951995 Formula One seasonThe 1995 Formula One season was the 46th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1995 FIA Formula One World Championship, which was contested over 17 races from March 26 to November 12, 1995. For the second year in succession, the Drivers' Championship was won by Michael Schumacher,...
Benetton B195Benetton B195The Benetton B195 was a Formula One car designed by Rory Byrne and Ross Brawn for use by Benetton in the 1995 Formula One season. The B195 was almost identical to the Benetton B194 but a change of engine supplier from Ford to Renault caused a redesign of the engine installation, gearbox and rear... - 19991999 Formula One seasonThe 1999 Formula One season was the 50th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It commenced on March 7, 1999, and ended on October 31 after sixteen races. The season saw the introduction of a new event to the World Championship calendar, the Malaysian Grand Prix...
Ferrari F399Ferrari F399The Ferrari F399 was the car with which the Ferrari team competed in the 1999 Formula One season. The F399 was almost identical to the previous season's F300 model, with small detail changes... - 20002000 Formula One seasonThe 2000 Formula One season was the 51st season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 2000 FIA Formula One World Championship which commenced on March 12, 2000, and ended on October 22 after seventeen races...
Ferrari F1-2000Ferrari F1-2000The Ferrari F1-2000 was a Formula One racing car designed by Rory Byrne for the 2000 Formula One season. The car was a direct development of the F300 and F399 from the previous two seasons, using the same basic gearbox and a new engine with a wider V-angle . This new wider angle improved and... - 20012001 Formula One seasonThe 2001 Formula One season was the 52nd season of FIA Formula One racing. It featured the FIA Formula One World Championship which commenced on March 4, 2001 and ended on October 14 after seventeen races. Michael Schumacher won the Drivers title with a record margin of 58 points, after achieving...
Ferrari F2001Ferrari F2001The Ferrari F2001 was a highly successful Formula One car, designed by Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne for the 2001 Formula One season. A revised version was used in the first two races of 2002 before it was replaced by the F2002.... - 20022002 Formula One seasonThe 2002 Formula One season was the 53rd FIA Formula One World Championship season. It commenced on March 3, 2002, and ended on October 13 after seventeen races....
Ferrari F2002Ferrari F2002The Ferrari F2002 was one of the most successful Formula One car designs of all time. Designed by Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne and Paolo Martinelli, it won fifteen Grands Prix, from a total of nineteen races in 2002 and 2003.... - 20032003 Formula One seasonThe 2003 Formula One season was the 54th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 2003 FIA Formula One World Championship, which commenced on March 9, 2003 and ended on October 12 after sixteen races...
Ferrari F2003-GAFerrari F2003-GAThe Ferrari F2003-GA was the car used by Scuderia Ferrari in the 2003 Formula 1 season, designed by Rory Byrne and Ross Brawn. Its development was based on the previous Ferrari F2002, and featured bulbous sidepods and a lengthened wheelbase to aid aerodynamics. The engine and gearbox were developed... - 20042004 Formula One seasonThe 2004 Formula One season was the 55th FIA Formula One World Championship season, running from March 7 to October 24, 2004. The season was dominated by Michael Schumacher and Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro...
Ferrari F2004Ferrari F2004The Ferrari F2004 is a championship-winning Formula One racecar, designed by Rory Byrne, Ross Brawn and Aldo Costa for the 2004 Formula One season...