James Key has been announced as the new Technical Director of Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake, and he will join his new team from 1 September 2023.
Key will link up again with his former Team Principal at the McLaren F1 Team, Andreas Seidl, who became the CEO of the Sauber Group earlier this year. Key will take over the role from current Technical Director Jan Monchaux.
Key left McLaren earlier this year after an underwhelming start to the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season, and his appointment sees him return to the team where he acted as Technical Director between 2010 and 2012 when they were known as the Sauber F1 Team.
2023 will be the last year of the Alfa Romeo-Sauber link-up, with the team set to revert back to the Sauber name in 2024. However, in 2026 they will become the works Audi Sport team in Formula 1, something Key is eager to build up to.
“I am delighted to be returning to Hinwil to work with old, and new, colleagues at Sauber; I have very fond memories of my time there before,” said Key. “I am looking forward to leading the technical side of the team at one of the most critical junctures of its long history as we head towards a new and exciting future.
“There is a huge amount of work ahead of us, but I am confident that every single member of our team working in Hinwil will have the commitment, determination and hunger to get us to the top.
“We know it will require time, effort and perseverance, and the dividends from this work will only arrive over the next two seasons and beyond, but we have a journey ahead of us and a roadmap to follow which I am eager to get started.
“I am grateful to Andreas for the confidence he has placed in me and look forward to repaying his trust and working closely with him on the challenges and ambitions ahead.”
Seidl is delighted to welcome Key to the team to help shape the future of Sauber, and he hopes that his appointment can help them make that next step forward. He believes he will be a ‘crucial’ part of the future of the team across the next few years.
“I am delighted to welcome James back home to Hinwil as he joins us to shape the future of this team,” said Seidl.
“The operation he will find has changed a lot since his time here, but the same drive, the same commitment that contributed to making the team successful in his previous experience are still the same: I am sure that, together with this very talented and committed team, we will be able to continue on the path of growth on which we have embarked.
“James’s appointment is a crucial step on this journey: he has an outstanding amount of experience in the sport, not just as Technical Director, but also in various other roles within the technical organisation of a team. He will lead the transformation process of the technical side of the team, giving us the tools and direction we need to tackle the future.”
Seidl also took time to thank outgoing Technical Director Monchaux for his work at Sauber/Alfa Romeo, a year after he helped them secure their best Constructors’ Championship position in more than a decade.
“I also want to thank Jan for his precious contribution to taking Sauber to where it is now, following our most successful season in a decade, in which we climbed to sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship,” added Seidl.