Ferrari adds former Bridgestone F1 chief

Ferrari has bolstered its technical team ahead of the 2012 F1 campaign with the addition of former Bridgestone head man Hirohide Hamashima and experienced grand prix and Champ Car engineer Steve Clark.

Hamashima enjoyed a good relationship with the Scuderia during Bridgestone's spell in F1, but had worked for the Japanese company for some 34 years before taking the decision to leave for Maranello. Although Bridgestone is no longer involved in the top flight, the 60-year old's experience will help give Ferrari greater insight into the current breed of Pirelli rubber.

"Last year we were not as good in exploiting all the tyres as we could have been, so that will be his specialist field," team principal Stefano Domenicali admitted during the opening press conference of Ferrari's traditional Wrooom event in Madonna di Campiglio

Domenicali also confirmed reports that Clark had been taken on as Ferrari's new chief track engineer. Previously at F1 rival Mercedes, the Briton brings experience of spells at Team Lotus, Ligier and Arrows, before a successful stint in the Champ Car World Series with Target Chip Ganassi Racing. He then returned, briefly, to F1 with Sauber, before returning to the USA with PacWest Racing. Clark has been back in F1 since 2002, when he joined McLaren, switching to the Honda operation that eventually became Mercedes in 2007.

Already familiar with Ferrari technical director Pat Fry, Clark's role will reprise that previously filled by Chris Dyer - the man made scapegoat for Fernando Alonso's title miss in 2010 - and involve overseeing race engineers Andrea Stella and Rob Smedley.