Stefano Domenicali (top) will now be entrusted with the job of masterminding Scuderia Ferrari's retention of Kimi Raikkonen's (above) 2007 F1 title.

Within hours of the news that Ross Brawn would be joining Honda F1 Racing next year, Ferrari announced a restructuring of the senior management positions at its Gestione Sportiva department. Former Scuderia Technical Director Brawn took a sabbatical from F1 this year after a successful stint at Maranello, and key management changes to be made this winter hinged on whether he would return to the Italian team for 2008. However, having opted for the major challenge of reviving the dramatically fallen fortunes of Honda F1 Racing, the way was left clear for Ferrari to shuffle its top management pack and to appoint a Director to succeed Jean Todt who has retained the top job at the Scuderia this year on a temporary basis.

Ferrari announces that, as from 1st January 2008, Stefano Domenicali will take on the role of Director of the Gestione Sportiva, a position currently held ad interim by Jean Todt - read a brief statement issued in Maranello earlier this morning. It added: The structure will be as follows: Operations Director - Mario Almondo; Technical Director - Aldo Costa; Engine Director - Gilles Simon. Before the end of 2007, the details on the organisation will be made available, the statement concluded.

Following a period of strengthening across its entire team, the Honda Racing F1 Team is delighted to announce a further key appointment - read Honda F1 Racing's press release this morning. Ross Brawn is to join Honda where he will take up the position of Team Principal with full responsibility for designing, manufacturing, engineering and racing Honda’s Formula One car. Ross will work alongside Nick Fry who continues as Chief Executive of the team, the Honda statement continued.

Ross Brawn commented: “I am very excited to be joining the Honda Racing F1 Team. Honda has a proud heritage in Formula One and the opportunity to help the team to realise its potential represents a fantastic new challenge for me in the sport. The team has already done a great job of giving due consideration to its future and has spent a good deal of time putting in place both people and first class engineering resources to achieve its ambitions. I look forward to working alongside what I know to be some very talented people and helping Honda to rediscover its winning ways.”

Ross spent ten years with the Ferrari team where, in the position of Technical Director, he helped them regain glory in the form of six consecutive constructors’ championship titles from 1999. Prior to joining Ferrari, Ross held the position of Technical Director with the Benetton F1 Team, helping them win back-to-back World Drivers’ Championships in 1994 and 1995 with Michael Schumacher and take the Constructors’ Championship in 1995. In the course of his 30 year career in motorsport he has worked with a number of Formula One teams and in sports car racing.