Yahoo Autos Former McLaren technical director Key joins Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo has announced that James Key will become the team’s new technical director on September 1, replacing Jan Monchaux.
Key, who left a similar role at McLaren in March, joins the Sauber-led team as it prepares to become the Audi works operation in 2026. He previously served as Sauber’s technical director from 2010-12, where he designed the team’s C31 which scored four podiums in 2012 with Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi.
“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.
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“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 (Seidl, Sauber Group CEO) 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.”
Key’s previous experience also includes time at Jordan — and its subsequent Midland, Spyker, and Force India guises — as well as Toro Rosso, which he joined after his previous stint at Hinwil.
“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 organization 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. 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.”
