James Key - Photo Credit: Sauber Motorsport AG
James Key, the Sauber technical director, has today left the Hinwil-based team just days before they launch their 2012 car.
Key, who joined the team from Force India, has been offered a new job in the UK.
The team will now reorganise its technical department – the design and development of the car will be led by the department heads for Aerodynamics, Design, Performance and Operations.
Peter Sauber, the eponymous team principal, explained how things will work after the departure of key. “A qualified team shares the overall technical responsibility,” he said. “This structure has proved to work well at other racing outfits.
“Over a period of almost two years, James has accomplished a lot for our team. Especially in the difficult transition period from a manufacturer team into a private enterprise, he contributed significantly to ensure the team regained stability. We would like to thank him for his efforts and wish him all the best for his future.”
“I've enjoyed the past two years working at the Sauber F1 Team,” added Key. “It has been a very intense and interesting time, in which we had to manage the transition from a much larger team to a smaller one, and everybody handled that very well. I think the team is now well set for the future and I wish it the very best. I have been offered a new role back in the UK, which I decided to accept.”
