Ferrari signs Bridgestone’s Hamashima

Ferrari has signed Bridgestone’s former technical chief Hirohide Hamashima, it emerged from the ’Wrooom’ media event in the Italian Dolomites on Wednesday.

The news was announced by Stefano Domenicali, the famous team’s boss.

Better known as ’Hammy’, Japanese Hamashima, 52 will be in charge of the interaction between the new Ferrari car and its Pirelli tyres and other "tyre issues", Domenicali said.

Still without an official name, the 2012 single seater - codenamed 663 - will be revealed at the team’s headquarters on February 3, just before a Fiorano shakedown.

Official testing begins the following week at Jerez.

Domenicali on Wednesday also denied reports that Ferrari has already secretly inked a new Concorde Agreement with Bernie Ecclestone.