24/11/2021
NEWS STORY
Aston Martin has confirmed that it has recruited Mercedes chief aerodynamicist, Eric Blandin.
The Silverstone-based outfit was giving little away though, other than to confirm paddock speculation that it had secured the Frenchman's services.
"We can confirm that Eric Blandin will begin working for Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team next year," said a spokesman for the team.
"His exact start date is not yet confirmed," they added. "The transition from Mercedes AMG F1 Team to ourselves will be an amicable one."
The move is one of several key signings by the team as it undergoes a massive rebuilding by owner Lawrence Stroll.
Previously the team recruited Red Bull's aero boss Dan Fallows as its Technical Director, while Luca Furbatto was recruited from Alfa Romeo as Engineering Director and Andrew Alessi from Red Bull as Head of Technical Operations.
Blandin, a graduate of the Pierre and Mari Curie University in Paris, joined Jaguar Racing in 2002 from Fondmetal Technologies and remained with the Milton Keynes-based outfit as it morphed into Red Bull.
Appointed aero team leader in 2005, he left Red Bull in late 2009, joining Ferrari in January 2010 in the same role.
In April 2011 he joined Mercedes as principal aerodynamicist before being appointed chief aerodynamicist in September 2017.
It was during his time at Red Bull that he worked with Fallows.