Jacky Eeckelaert is to head up the design project of next year's F1 car for the Hispania Racing Team.
Although plans for HRT to hire experienced designer Jorg Zander fell through last week, the team's preparations for 2012 are unaffected as Eeckelaert will expand his role to co-ordinate its design efforts.
It is understood that Eeckelaert will work with new chief aerodynamicist Stephane Schosse, who has worked at Toyota, Sauber and Ligier in the past, out of the team's Munich technical operations base.
Eeckelaert has vast experience in Formula 1, having work with Jordan, Prost, Sauber, Honda and Super Aguri, before joining HRT last year after a spell in sports cars.