McLaren technical director David Sanchez has left the British squad after just three months, as the team has reshuffled its technical structure.
Sanchez agreed to join McLaren back in 2023 after leaving Ferrari, and after a period of gardening leave, he started working with the British outfit at the start of 2024. After just three months, though, his ideas weren’t aligned with McLaren’s, and the decision was taken to take separate paths.
Andrea Stella will now take Sanchez’s role while also remaining team principal. In the meantime, the team will look for another technical director.
“Following thoughtful discussions between David Sanchez and the team leadership, the mutual decision has been taken for David to leave the team,” Stella said.
“Upon our joint reflection, it became apparent that the role, responsibilities, and ambitions associated with David’s position did not align with our original expectations when he agreed to join us in February 2023.
“Recognizing this misalignment, both David and I agreed that it would be best to part ways now, so to enable him to pursue other opportunities that will better leverage the full scale and breadth of his remarkable skill set.
“We greatly and gratefully value the contributions that David has made during his relatively short time with us, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
Sanchez also spent a few words on his – short – time at McLaren, underlining how the discussions that led to the final decision to leave were “open” and “honest”.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this team,” Sanchez stated.
“While the role we envisioned and had agreed to was not aligned with the reality of the position I found, I leave with respect for the leadership, admiration for the dedication of my colleagues, and appreciation for the openness and honesty in which we discussed and arrived at 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 within F1.”