Andretti Autosport has hired Rob Edwards as its director of race operations and engineering, replacing Kyle Moyer who left for Team Penske in November. Edwards departs Schmidt Peterson Motorsports where he served as general manager after Schmidt acquired the Edwards-led FAZZT Race Team in 2011.

The loss of Edwards completes a busy off-season of change for both teams. Moyer’s Andretti exit came as a surprise to many in open-wheel racing, and with star driver Simon Pagenaud and his equally talented engineer Ben Bretzman moving from SPM to fill a fourth Verizon IndyCar Series entry for Penske, both Honda-powered outfits have had key roles to fill.

“We are excited to welcome Rob [Edwards] to the Andretti family,” said Andretti. “His experience in racing will be valuable in moving our organization forward across multiple racing platforms.”

Of his many attributes, Edwards’ ability to extract the maximum performance from modest resources, and his nuanced gift for creating or maintaining team chemistry has helped numerous teams to punch well above their weight. With Andretti, he’ll have a strong team unit to inherit, expanded resources, and the bulk of Honda’s aero kit testing and development to oversee before the season starts at Brazil in March. 

Edwards had been rumored as a replacement for Moyer since November, and with his transition to Andretti, Schmidt and team co-owner Ric Peterson will have more work to do to surround the incoming James Hinchcliffe and a second driver with the necessary infrastructure. 

Former Andretti driver Hinchcliffe has partnered with SPM’s championship-winning engineer Allan McDonald – also a former Andretti employee, and a number of potential teammates are being considered for the Canadian.

Andretti Autosport has three confirmed drivers so far for 2015, with defending Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay, Marco Andretti, and reigning IndyCar Rookie of the Year Carlos Munoz on its roster. Like SPM, candidates are being considered for its lone vacant seat, although the team could be prepared to stay with a smaller 3-car lineup.

Edwards joins an experienced cast of managers at Andretti Autosport with IndyCar team manager George Klotz, Indy Lights team manager Dave Popielarz, and Pro Mazda team manager Fran Reilly continuing in their current positions.