Costa steps down as Technical director in Ferrari reshuffle

Ferrari have moved Technical director Aldo Costa to an undefined role elsewhere at Maranello.

Monaco: Technical director Aldo Costa paid the price for Ferrari`s poor start to the season on Tuesday with the Formula One team moving him to an undefined role elsewhere at Maranello.

The oldest, most glamorous and successful team in the paddock wasted no time in ringing the changes after a Spanish Grand Prix humiliation that saw Ferrari`s double world champion Fernando Alonso lapped in front of his home fans. Ferrari said that Costa, an Italian, had relinquished his role with immediate effect and would take up "new responsibilities" within the company."The technical activity has been restructured in three areas," the team added in a statement ahead of Sunday`s showcase Monaco Grand Prix. "Director for the chassis side is Pat Fry, production is in the hands of Corrado Lanzone, while engine and electronics continues with Luca Marmorini." Fry, who joined from McLaren last July, had been the assistant technical director and will effectively take on Costa`s job. The 47-year-old Briton spent 18 years with McLaren, where he was chief engineer, and played an important role in designing that team`s race-winning cars. The reshuffle was the second at Maranello this year, with Australian Chris Dyer replaced as head of race track engineering in January. Dyer had been widely blamed in the Italian media for a strategy error that cost Alonso a third championship at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.Ferrari have not won a race since Alonso`s last triumph in South Korea in October. They have had one podium finish this season, when Alonso finished third in Turkey. While Alonso led for a while and finished fifth in Spain, his car struggled with the hard Pirelli tyres while Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa failed to finish the race. The team that made their championship debut in Monaco in 1950 have not won in the Mediterranean principality since Michael Schumacher in 2001 and are likely to be chasing Red Bull and McLaren around the streets again this weekend. Ferrari are third overall, 83 points behind reigning champions Red Bull. Bureau Report