Red Bull have followed up their signing of McLaren technical director Adrian Newey by persuading a key former assistant to join him. Red Bull said Peter Prodromou, McLaren's chief aerodynamicist since 2000, would be joining their Formula One team in the same role.

"It has been agreed by Red Bull Racing and Peter Prodromou that Peter would join the team as chief aerodynamicist later this year when his contract expires with McLaren-Mercedes," said a statement.

McLaren said, however, that he would continue working for them throughout the season. "Peter has been an integral part of the aerodynamics department for more than a decade," a spokesperson said. "Peter continues to enjoy his role at McLaren and both parties have agreed that he will continue in his role throughout '06 and be involved in the preparations for '07. "We are well aware that in the long term, Peter may develop his career elsewhere."...

Prodromou was the man responsible for the shape of the new McLaren MP4-21, rated as one of the title contenders in the season starting on March 12.  McLaren, runners-up last year, said they had strength in depth with more than 200 engineers working for them and it was inevitable some would be approached by other teams. Newey, the design brains behind a string of championship-winning cars for Williams and McLaren, started work for Ferrari-powered Red Bull earlier this month.

source: http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=motorSportsNews&storyID=
2006-01-26T182749Z_01_LA542081_RTRIDST_0_SPORT-MOTOR-RACING-REDBULL-UPDATE-1.XML

Comments: Bad news for McLaren just keep coming up these days. Newey is already gone. Prodromou will soon follow him. To make matters worst, Nikolas Tombazis, Paddy Lowe and Neil Oatley are also rumoured to be leaving soon.

McLaren spent millions for Alonso but they can 't keep their engineers. By 2007, they will have two fast drivers in a slow car :(