F1 designer Barnard joins Team Roberts.

MotoGP independent Team Roberts has made a surprise announcement confirming former Formula One design wizard John Barnard among its staff for 2003, the Englishman having joined as technical director.

Barnard assumes the role, effective immediately, at the team's United Kingdom base of operations having amassed a wealth of experience at various grand prix teams at home and abroad. He is best known for his prolific design work with companies such as companies such as Lola, McLaren, Benetton, Ferrari, Arrows and Prost in a career spanning some 35 years.

Barnard assisted Gordon Coppuck in the design of McLaren's 1974 F1 world championship-winning M23. From 1975 through 1978, he designed the Vel's Parnelli Jones VPJ6 series of Indy Cars. The series used an in-house developed turbocharged Cosworth DFV engine, the first turbo application of that of engine type. The VPJ6B is also noteworthy for initiating the use of a transverse mounted gearbox.

Other notable Barnard-penned cars include Jim Hall's 1980 Indy 500 and Indy Car championship winning Chaparral 2K, and the first all composite monocoque Formula One car - the McLaren MP4/1, which claimed its first victory by taking the 1981 British GP at Silverstone during its maiden season and led to McLaren's dominance of F1 in the mid-80s. While heading up Ferrari's Guildford Technical Office [GTO] in England, Barnard developed Formula One's first semi-automatic gearbox. The 1998 Arrows A19 F1 car was the first car to use a carbon composite gearbox, which was designed by Barnard.

In the capacity of technical director for Team Roberts, Barnard will be responsible for all engineering and technical development of the organisation's projects, including the 2003 Proton KR V-5 four-stroke grand prix racing motorcycle. He will also oversee all technical aspects of the racing team.

"There are a lot of things that can be done with motorcycles," Barnard stated, "It's all very exciting. There are new ways to make things as well as new ways to approach things in general.

"Above all, we must be realistic. We need to build a good foundation and get our feet on the ground, from there we can move forward."

Team Roberts owner, Kenny Roberts commented that Barnard's arrival on the technical team was another step towards taking on the big boys of MotoGP, such as Honda and Yamaha.

"Bringing John into our organisation is another step in our quest to achieve a higher level of engineering, overall expertise, and competitiveness," he said, "I've known John for a lot of years and have complete faith in his ability to help us evolve our company and our team to a higher level."