McLaren announce shock technical personnel change ahead of Japanese Grand Prix

NEW DELHI: McLaren on Tuesday announced a technical restructure after David Sanchez, the technical director for car concept and performance, departed from the Formula 1 team citing a "misalignment" in his role and expectations within the team.

In a press release, McLaren stated that the latest changes are “aimed at further strengthening and evolving the technical model”. In a mutual decision reached after thoughtful discussions, both Sanchez and McLaren leadership agreed that parting ways was the best course of action to allow Sanchez to explore opportunities better suited to his expertise and aspirations.

McLaren wasted no time in reshaping their technical department, appointing Rob Marshall, formerly of Red Bull, as the new chief designer, while Neil Houldey stepped into the role of technical director for engineering.

Team principal Andrea Stella assumed Sanchez's responsibilities on an interim basis, further highlighting the team's commitment to adapt and evolve for greater efficiency and effectiveness.

Acknowledging Sanchez's contributions during his tenure, McLaren expressed gratitude for his efforts while wishing him success in his future endeavours. “This further step in the evolution of the structure of the technical department and the working model within the team signifies our commitment to constantly enhancing our technical capabilities and workflows for greater efficiency and effectiveness," said Stella in an announcement released on Tuesday.

"Upon our joint reflection, it became apparent that the role, responsibilities, and ambitions associated with David's position did not align with our original expectations when he agreed to join us in February 2023,” he added

Following thoughtful discussions between David Sanchez and the team leadership, a mutual decision has been taken for David to leave the team. "Recognising this misalignment, both David and I agreed that it would be best to part ways now, so to enable him to pursue other opportunities that will better leverage the full scale and breadth of his remarkable skillset.

"We greatly and gratefully value the contributions that David has made during his relatively short time with us, and we wish him the best in his future endeavours.”

The unexpected shake-up comes as McLaren finds themselves in a strong position, currently third in the constructors' championship behind Red Bull and Ferrari, with standout performances from drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Lando Norris finished on the podium last time out in Melbourne, with Oscar Piastri in fourth as McLaren continued their attempted charge to the front.