Motor racing: New designer for Ferrari

The former Benetton designer Rory Byrne will take over from John Barnard as chief designer at Ferrari next week.

Byrne, who served Benetton for more than a decade, left the team late last year and was thought to have taken early retirement. He and Ferrari's recently appointed technical director, Ross Brawn, were seen as the creative force at Benetton in recent years. Brawn also left Benetton in December and joined Ferrari early this year.

Barnard, the successful McLaren designer in the late 1980s, is understood to be interested in working with Alain Prost, who wants to buy Ligier.