McLaren have confirmed that technical director James Key has left the team following their difficult start to the 2023 campaign.
As a part of a team shake-up Key, who joined from Scuderia Toro Rosso in March 2019, will depart the British team with his role to be jointly covered by three different positions. And the 51-year-old's release escalates the notion of a potential crisis, with problems mounting both on and off the track.
Lando Norris, who cited his desire to challenge for a world title with McLaren when he signed a lucrative contract extension last year, could only labour to 17th in Bahrain following issues with his car. He finished in the same position in Saudi Arabia, after hitting a wall in qualifying.
New man Oscar Piastri meanwhile, failed to finish in the season opener and could only finish 15th in Jeddah, leaving the team without a single constructors' point after two races. As a result, Key will be replaced by David Sanchez from Ferrari, who will work with Peter Prodromou and Neil Houldley, from the aerodynamics and engineering and design departments respectively.
Team principal Andrea Stella has admitted his team got their car development wrong in the off-season, but has vowed the changes will help them compete at the top end of the grid: "Looking ahead, I am determined and fully focused on leading McLaren back to the front of the field," he said, via BBC Sport .
"Since taking on the team principal role, I have been given the mandate to take a strategic approach to ensure the team is set on a long-term foundation, for us to build on over the years. This new structure provides clarity and effectiveness within the team's technical department and puts us in a strong position to maximise performance, including optimising the new infrastructure upgrades we have coming in 2023."
Racing chief executive officer Zak Brown also admitted the "technical development has not moved at a quick enough pace" for the team to achieve their goal of matching the best in F1. Indeed, McLaren currently appear lightyears away from frontrunners Red Bull, leading to speculation over the future of Norris.
The 23-year-old, who tried to banish his Saudi woes with a golf trip with Lewis Hamilton, has thus far dismissed talk of him waiting for an approach from elsewhere: "I guess I'm at a point where it doesn't affect me in any way. I'm fine with it to an extent, apart from when it's just complete BS that people try and come up with, and completely fake stories that people make up," he said.
The team were fourth in the constructors' race in 2021, slipping a place to fifth a year later. Norris himself was sixth and seventh in each of those seasons, but has long been touted by critics as a future world champion.
