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Motor racing-Red Bull's aero head to join Aston Martin F1 team

(Reuters) - Red Bull's long-serving head of aerodynamics Dan Fallows will join Formula One rivals Aston Martin as technical director, the teams announced on Friday in a move likely to take some time to complete.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner said the 15-year veteran of the team, world champions from 2010-13 with Sebastian Vettel who is now at Aston Martin, would have to see out his current contract first.

Horner added that it "won't be within the next couple of years."

Red Bull are currently leading Mercedes, Aston Martin's engine provider, in both championships with Max Verstappen 12 points clear of seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton after seven races.

"It goes without saying that Dan will be missed as he has played an important role during his time at Red Bull Racing," said Red Bull boss Christian Horner in a statement at the Styrian Grand Prix in Austria.

"We do however recognise that the chance to take on the role of technical director within a Formula One team is an appealing next step in his career.

"In turn, this move creates exciting internal progression opportunities as we look to the future and draw from the wealth of talent within the wider team."

Silverstone-based Aston Martin last week announced the signing of Alfa Romeo's chief designer Luca Furbatto in the first of a number of significant new appointments as they prepare to move to a new factory in 2022.

Furbatto will be engineering director under chief technical officer Andrew Green.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)