Restructuring role for Jenkins at Prost

Team owner Alain Prost has given the British design chief a free hand in changing the structure of the technical department.

The French team already has two technical chiefs: ex-Renault chief Bernard Dudot and 1980s design pacesetter John Barnard, but Jenkins has been brought in to turn the team around after it has scored just two points in six races.

'We needed to have the right person in the right place. John Barnard's position is quite clear and he does not move: he is not technical director.

'We needed a technical director with a global view of the whole car. We needed someone with experience who was able to make quick decisions.

'We need to move forward. If you don't move forward in this world you are dead.

'Bernard Dudot had more to do with the organisation but his lack of experience on the chassis side was becoming more and more of a problem so we had to move.

'It's not very often I have this kind of opportunity to employ someone like Alan. We are re-organising the whole technical structure a lot

'Before his arrival it was very difficult to do anything because you make compromises which is the worst thing.

'Now we are going to move very quickly and completely change the organisation in next few days. His first job is to see everybody and make some decisions."

Prost said work had already begun on next year's car and anticipated it would be a bigger leap forward than this year's car was on last year's and would have a new engine and gearbox as well as chassis.