McLaren announces the departure of David Sanchez, just three months after his arrival

McLaren has announced a new restructuring of its technical department following the surprise departure of David Sanchez. In fact, the technician had officially started working for the English team only in January after a period of leave from Ferrari.

The former French engineer had joined McLaren as part of a significant change in the technical team earlier this year, following James Key’s departure. Key had joined Sauber’s technical management after leaving in June 2023.

The boss of McLaren, Andrea Stella, spoke about David Sanchez’s departure in a press release. « After in-depth discussions between David Sanchez and the team management, the mutual decision was made for David to leave the team. »

« After our joint reflection, it became clear that the role, responsibilities, and ambitions associated with David’s position did not meet our initial expectations when he joined us in February 2023.

Recognizing this gap, David and I agreed that it would be best to part ways now, to allow him to pursue other opportunities that will enable him to better leverage the breadth and depth of his remarkable skills. We greatly appreciate the contributions David has made during his relatively short time with us, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors. »

Moreover, it is Andrea Stella himself, who will replace Sanchez on an interim basis, while Rob Marshall will assume the role of chief designer. McLaren also confirmed that Niel Houldey will be the technical director of engineering, while Peter Prodomou will remain the technical director of aerodynamics.

The Frenchman said: « I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of this team. Although the role we had envisioned and accepted does not match the reality of the position I found, I am leaving with respect for the leadership, admiration for the dedication of my colleagues, and appreciation for the openness and honesty with which we discussed and made this decision. I wish this team continued success as it continues its journey to the front of the grid, where it belongs. I look forward to my next challenge in F1. »