Toro Rosso, McLaren finally reach agreement on Key
Toro Rosso has agreed to release James Key to take up his new position of McLaren technical director just after the start of the 2019 Formula 1 season.
Key will officially leave Toro Rosso on March 23 and begin working for McLaren from March 25, with the transition happening between the Australian and Bahrain Grands Prix.
Toro Rosso will promote current deputy technical director Jody Egginton to the technical director role in Key's place.
McLaren's hiring of Key last summer prompted a long dispute between the team and Toro Rosso's parent squad Red Bull.
With Key under a long-term contract at Toro Rosso, terms for his release had to be agreed and quickly met an impasse, in which the possibility of McLaren protege Lando Norris being released to drive for Toro Rosso was also raised.
In the event an agreement was reached, with McLaren keeping hold of Norris and giving him a 2019 race drive and hinting over recent months that Key would join during the coming season.
As part of the ongoing revamp of its technical department and its bid to turn its poor F1 form around, McLaren has also recruited Andreas Seidl - formerly head of Porsche's LMP1 and World Endurance Championship programme.
It recently announced that Seidl would start as its managing director in May.
Pierre Gasly, Scuderia Toro Rosso and Jody Egginton, Scuderia Toro Rosso
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Sutton Images
Share Or Save This Story
Ferrari drivers escape punishment for clash
Hamilton accepts full responsibility for Albon collision
Vettel, Leclerc called to stewards over accident
Oscar Piastri: I need a tow bar to hook onto Mercedes to fight for Baku win
What was Lando Norris' top-speed problem in Baku qualifying?
How the chase to catch Mercedes is unfolding
Oscar Piastri: I need a tow bar to hook onto Mercedes to fight for Baku win
Carson Hocevar, Ryan Blaney trade niceties a week after Bristol fight
"We are going to FIA": Grasser appeal rejected - no DTM champion at finale?
Guenther Steiner calls out Williams over F1 infrastructure complaints: "Crocodile tears"
How George Russell claimed his career-best pole margin in F1 Azerbaijan GP qualifying
How the chase to catch Mercedes is unfolding
What we learned from Thursday practice at the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP
A look at McLaren and Audi's Baku F1 updates
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments