Rory Byrne

Biography

Graduate of the university of Witwatersrand with Johannesbourg in 1965, Rory Byrne begins his career in automobile sport at the end of the years 1960 by designing single-seaters which it engages in tests in South Africa. Party to continue its career in England as from 1972, it makes the meeting in 1977 of the contractor Ted Toleman, who engages then a stable in Formule 2, and entrusts to him the technical position of director. Under the impulse of Byrne, the Toleman obtain good performances, which encourages Ted Toleman to try the adventure of Formula 1 starting from 1981. In spite of financial means limited, Toleman de Byrne carry out some blows of glare (let us quote in particular the 2nd place of Ayrton Senna with the GP of Monaco 1984) which assoient its reputation in the medium.

At the conclusion of the season 1985, Toleman is repurchased by Benetton, which results in a budget with the rise and a partnership with the German motor mechanic BMW. Helped by its tires Pirelli, Benetton B186 gains with the hands of Gerhard Berger the GP of Mexico in 1986. It is the first victory in F1 of a single-seater designed by Byrne. At the time of the following seasons, Benetton badly tests difficulties of rising on the level of the largest stables (only one additional victory, for Alessandro Nannini with the GP of Japan 1989), which encourages Flavio Briatore, the new director of the Anglo-Italian stable, to recruit the very famous engineer John Barnard with the end of the year 1989. Feeling that it is likely to be made placardiser by this arrival, Byrne decides to leave Benetton to join the British manufacturer Reynard, which board then on a project in F1. Let us note however that after the departure of Bryne, nimble Benetton B190 (officially conceived by Barnard, but mainly based on work already quite advanced by Byrne before its departure) will make it possible Nelson Piquet to gain two races and to finish on the podium of the Championnat of the world of Formula 1 1990.

The Reynard project having fallen through (the team Pacific Racing will rest above to carry out its arrival in F1 in 1994), Rory Byrne turns over to Benetton at the end of 1991, that is to say 2 years after its departure. John left Barnard, it was replaced at the technical position of director by Ross Brawn. Rory Byrne takes for its part the station of chief designer . The technical duet Brawn-Byrne, relayed on the track by the young German pilot Michael Schumacher, is not long in making take off the Benetton stable, which gains the world title of the pilots in 1994, then carries out doubled the pilot-manufacturer in 1995. At the conclusion of the season 1995, Michael Schumacher leaves Benetton for Ferrari. If Brawn decides to remain at Benetton, Byrne estimates as for him that the moment had just finished some with the testing rate/rhythm of Formula 1, and, large impassioned on deep-sea diving, decides to leave to settle in Thailand.

During the season 1997, Scuderia Ferrari (that Brawn has just joined in the capacity as chief technical officer, again to replace John Barnard) called upon him. Bryne does not resist the idea to reform the technical duet gaining of the Benetton years and to find its station of designer as a chief at the sides of Brawn. Although less mediatized than Brawn (its function leads it only seldom to move on the Grands Prix and to leave the research department), it then will become one of the principal craftsmen of the formidable domination exerted by Scuderia Ferrari between 1999 and 2004 and concretized by 6 world titles of the manufacturers, and 5 world titles of the pilots for Michael Schumacher.

At the conclusion of the season 2004, it takes a little withdrawal with Formula 1, leaving its role of chief designer to its right-hand man Aldo Costa, to be satisfied with a role of technical consultant. Byrne was to take its retirement at the end of 2006, but decided to prolong its collaboration with Scuderia until 2009.

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