James Key joins Alfa Romeo as Technical Director

Former McLaren Technical Director James Key will be a part of the Sauber Group to bolster Audi transition because the German producer ramps up its preparation for its works entry in 2026.

With the Sauber Motorsport making ready to turn out to be a works workforce with Audi in 2026, the group is consistently taking essential step in the direction of its entry. In January 2023, Andreas Seidl has been appointed their new Group CEO. The previous McLaren Crew Principal is ready to supervise Audi’s entry to Formulation 1 in 2026.

Sauber Motorsport has now introduced that Key, who has greater than 25 years’ value of expertise in Formulation One, will be a part of the Hinwil squad on September 1st, 2023, taking up the place from Jan Monchaux.

Key started his F1 profession with Jordan Grand Prix the place he lined varied engineering roles, together with race engineer. In 2005, the Briton grew to become Formulation One’s youngest-ever Technical Director, on the age of 33; and he retained that place because the workforce grew to become Midland F1, Spyker F1 and finally Pressure India.

He then joined the Sauber F1 Crew as Technical Director for the 2010 season earlier than changing into the Technical Director at Scuderia Toro Rosso. He then made the transfer to McLaren Racing forward of the 2019 season the place he took on the position of Technical Director beneath the path of then-Crew Principal, Andreas Seidl.

Sauber Group CEO Andreas Seidl commented: “I’m delighted to welcome James again dwelling to Hinwil as he joins us to form the way forward for this workforce. The operation he’ll discover has modified quite a bit since his time right here, however the identical drive, the identical dedication that contributed to creating the workforce profitable in his earlier expertise are nonetheless the identical: I’m positive that, along with this very proficient and dedicated workforce, we will proceed on the trail of progress on which we now have embarked.

“James’s appointment is a vital step on this journey: he has an excellent quantity of expertise within the sport, not simply as Technical Director, but additionally in varied different roles inside the technical organisation of a workforce. He’ll lead the transformation technique of the technical aspect of the workforce, giving us the instruments and path we have to sort out the long run.

“I additionally need to thank Jan for his valuable contribution to taking Sauber to the place it’s now, following our most profitable season in a decade, wherein we climbed to sixth place within the Constructors’ Championship,” concluded Seidl.

James Key added: “I’m delighted to be returning to Hinwil to work with previous, and new, colleagues at Sauber; I’ve very fond reminiscences of my time there earlier than. I’m trying ahead to main the technical aspect of the workforce at one of the crucial crucial junctures of its lengthy historical past as we head in the direction of a brand new and thrilling future.

“There’s a enormous quantity of labor forward of us, however I’m assured that each single member of our workforce working in Hinwil may have the dedication, willpower and starvation to get us to the highest.

“We all know it’ll require time, effort and perseverance, and the dividends from this work will solely arrive over the subsequent two seasons and past, however we now have a journey forward of us and a roadmap to observe which I’m desirous to get began. I’m grateful to Andreas for the arrogance he has positioned in me and sit up for repaying his belief and dealing intently with him on the challenges and ambitions forward,” Key concluded.