Former Ferrari chief designer Tombazis joins FIA

LONDON, March 7 (Reuters) - Former Ferrari chief designer Nikolas Tombazis has joined Formula One's governing body, the International Automobile Federation (FIA), to work with teams on future technical regulations.

An FIA spokesman said Tombazis, whose Formula One career includes stints with former champions Benetton and McLaren, had been appointed head of technical matters for single-seater racing.

"He will also contribute to the strategic vision of the F1/F2/F3/F4 technical and sporting regulations and be the contact point for Formula One teams...regarding current and future technical regulations."

He takes the place vacated by Marcin Budkowski, a Polish-born aerodynamicist who also previously worked for Ferrari and McLaren, who resigned in September and subsequently joined Renault.

Tombazis started out with Benetton in 1992, where he became chief aerodynamicist at a time when Michael Schumacher was driving for the team.

After moving to Ferrari in 1997, he became McLaren's Project Chief Director in 2005 and then returned to Maranello as chief designer in 2006. Most recently he worked with the now-defunct Manor team.