Moving F1-Staff

[mclaren_mircea]

Is there the posibility that some good chunks of former Mercedes F1 engineers remained with the Formula E team after the team was taken by Mclaren... These men if they exists have to be gold... They are engineers who worked for Mercedes F1 team in the best years of the team. And now... maybe Mclaren if they are the employeer they can take them from the Mclaren Formula E team to the Mclaren F1 team. Those men has to be much worth than everying Alpines or Aston Martin are poaching from aka Williams F1. Mclaren can send someone like James Key to the FE team and get in to the Mclaren Racing to make that Mcl37 a good car.

The Mercedes FE powertrain was developed by HPP in Brixworth who would be the same team who did 2014 onwards F1 ERS - I would guess they are still in Brixworth but now working back in F1 on 2026 project .....

[Blackout]

I mean... I wanted to say as an elegant way to get rid of James Keys conservatism and lack of courage in the design choiches of the car that is starting to hamper Mclaren.

No way. Many of the cars that have been designed under Key's direction at STR, Sauber and Mclaren featured many bold technical solutions and even innovations. There is a long list. And the 2022 Mclaren had some couragaous design choices, like the super slim splitter, the pullrods at the front/pushrods at the rear, the monocoque shape etc). So the problem is not conservatism, but maybe wrong choices...

[AR3-GP]

I mean... I wanted to say as an elegant way to get rid of James Keys conservatism and lack of courage in the design choiches of the car that is starting to hamper Mclaren.

No way. Many of the cars that have been designed under Key's direction at STR, Sauber and Mclaren featured many bold technical solutions and even innovations. There is a long list. And the 2022 Mclaren had some couragaous design choices, like the super slim splitter, the pullrods at the front/pushrods at the rear, the monocoque shape etc). So the problem is not conservatism, but maybe wrong choices...

I think that the OP was trying to be nice about it....but you are more direct

[diffuser]

I mean... I wanted to say as an elegant way to get rid of James Keys conservatism and lack of courage in the design choiches of the car that is starting to hamper Mclaren.

No way. Many of the cars that have been designed under Key's direction at STR, Sauber and Mclaren featured many bold technical solutions and even innovations. There is a long list. And the 2022 Mclaren had some couragaous design choices, like the super slim splitter, the pullrods at the front/pushrods at the rear, the monocoque shape etc). So the problem is not conservatism, but maybe wrong choices...

I think that the OP was trying to be nice about it....but you are more direct

Nice to see a winter post from Blackout...

What's the point on commenting on Key? He's gonna get, atleast 2 more years. They're gonna wait till the infrastructure is in place. McLaren was off the top 2 teams pace but so was 80% of the teams. McLaren was in the mix with Alpine for best of the rest. Not a bad year.

[beschadigunc]

You guys are talking like the Technical Chief is actually designing something

[johnny comelately]

Not sure but:
It was revealed by the Maranello-based team that they’ve replaced former head of strategy Inaki Rueda with Ravin Jain, who’ll feature on the pit wall this season in the lead strategic role for the Italians

[Silent Storm]

Not sure but:
It was revealed by the Maranello-based team that they’ve replaced former head of strategy Inaki Rueda with Ravin Jain, who’ll feature on the pit wall this season in the lead strategic role for the Italians

Ravin has been incharge of strategy last couple of years, Rueda was on the sporting side.

[ralphster7]

Some recent moves:
Chris Dyer Head of Vehicle Performance Alpine -> McLaren FE Team
Richard Frith Head of VP Mercedes FE -> Head of VP Alpine
Jerome Lafarge Head of Technology Alpine -> Chief Designer (Composite + Structures) Red Bull Racing
Slawomir Madaj Senior Structural Calculations Engineer Mercedes -> Head of Structural Analysis Sauber Motorsport (Alfa Romeo)
David Wheater Aerodynamics Director Williams -> TBD
Owen Jones Chief Engineer Mercedes HPP -> Performance Director Red Bull Powertrains
Riccardo Musconi Race Engineer, George Russell (Merc) -> Head of Trackside Performance Mercedes (Internal Move)

[ralphster7]

Some key appointments from Audi in preparation for 2026
Adreas Seidl - CEO Sauber Motorsport
Adam Baker - CEO Audi Formula One Racing
Guido Stallmann - Partnerships and Communications Director
Miriam Haubner - Chief Human Resources Officer
Stefan Halter - Chief Financial Officer (Sauber Motorsport).
All of these people were previously Audi. Adam Baker used to work as head of engine operations for BMW Sauber in F1 and also worked for the FIA.
Some smaller highers as well - will periodically update this.

[ScottR267]

Nick Chester left McLaren FE and looks like heading up Andretti’s technical team

[ScottR267]

Grant Kennedy left Aston Martin as an aerodynamicist to join McLaren as a senior aerodynamicist

[mclaren111]

Grant Kennedy left Aston Martin as an aerodynamicist to join McLaren as a senior aerodynamicist

[ralphster7]

Major Technical Restructure at McLaren
Left Team: James Key (TD), Tony Salter (HAD)
New Structure: Peter Prodromou (Technical Director, Aero), David Sanchez from Ferrari (Technical Director, Car Concept and Performance), Neil Houdrey (Technical Director, Engineering and Design). Guiseppe Pesce has also been promoted to chief of staff and Aerodynamics Director; Piers Thynne likewise to Chief Operating Officer.

[ralphster7]

Guru Johl Chief Aerodynamicist (No. 2) for Aston Martin has left and joined Alpha Tauri as Deputy Head of Aero.

[lio007]

Guru Johl Chief Aerodynamicist (No. 2) for Aston Martin has left and joined Alpha Tauri as Deputy Head of Aero.

That's a bit of a surprise. He came from Red Bull and has now left AM after some other Red Bull engineers joined the team.