James Key leaves Sauber, next destination?

[Tyler]

I haven't heard anything of Ascanelli leaving Toro Rosso though

Also Toro Rosso is based in Faenza in Italy so he can't be going to Toro Rosso.

[Tyler]

Breaking story on James Key leaving Sauber.

why do people love this man so much I don't really get all the fanfare?

Because his jobs at Force India and Sauber have moved those teams considerably upward in a short time. This usually means he knows his job as a leading engineer and strategical thinker.

I think the current job change is motivated by his wish to go back to the UK. Ex pat jobs almost always have the challenge to convert the grown status abroad into a higher position or better employment at home. It looks like James Key landed an opportunity there. This makes me think a relatively high up the grid team. McLaren or Mercedes. Back to McLaren in a higher position is probably the best bet.

I'm sorry I also don't get it.
I'm not doubting that he isn't talented but he hasn't really been behind a winning car yet so I feel there is a bit too much hype around him.
Ok Sauber did go from 8th to 7th in the championship in the short time that he was there - a little over a year is it not?
Force India also managed to climb one place after he left but on the other hand it could be argued that the car was still based on and evolved from his design.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

I'm sorry I also don't get it.
I'm not doubting that he isn't talented but he hasn't really been behind a winning car yet so I feel there is a bit too much hype around him.
Ok Sauber did go from 8th to 7th in the championship in the short time that he was there - a little over a year is it not?
Force India also managed to climb one place after he left but on the other hand it could be argued that the car was still based on and evolved from his design.

So he worked at teams who cannot provide the resource of producing a winning car.
He has moved them forward as you yourself pointed out.

Imagine the potential of a man who can visibly push a team forward, at a larger team like McLaren.

Grasping it now?

[raymondu999]

I think Tyler's point is that his skills so far as he has shown revolve more around budgeting efficiency rather than making a winning car.

For example, if you use an analogy of a school student. The length of time you study is your budget, and your grades is the quality of your car. James Key is the one who gets B+ grades after only studying for 1 hour, while others need to study even more at times to get a B-. But that doesn't mean that James Key can or will ever, get A+ grades.

[xpensive]

It could also be one of the usual rules within every business, which will never change whatever they say;

It's not as much about "know how", as it's about "know who".

When it's hard to analyze the social network within F1, what remains is to look at who Key has worked with before?

Mike Gascoyne stands out, from Key's time with Jordan/Spyker/FI, Gascoyne also worked at Sauber in the early 90s.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

It could also be one of the usual rules within every business, which will never change whatever they say;

It's not as much about "know how", as it's about "know who".

When it's hard to analyze the social network within F1, what remains is to look at who Key has worked with before?

Mike Gascoyne stands out, from Key's time with Jordan/Spyker/FI, Gascoyne also worked at Sauber in the early 90s.

+1
Which is why I think Caterham are 3rd favourites to land him.

[Lurk]

Agreed with Raymond: Peter principle. So until he try we cannot know.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Agreed with Raymond: Peter principle. So until he try we cannot know.

Yet he has a track record of pushing teams forward.
Forget the ratings rubbish, no one can say how good he is. But he is well respected within F1, and as Xpensive alluded too... we do not know how highly he is rated within the inner circles of F1.

If he does leave for a lesser team it would be to caterham, who have the desire to be midfield runners and its a reunification of Gascoyne/Key. They also have the money to pull off such a coup.
Otherwise Woking is still favourite with Brackely second in my opinion.

[afiq]

@f1enigma

James Key is going to Lotus Cars Motorsport Total reports. They have the Le Mans prog

https://twitter.com/#!/f1enigma/status/166156348147515392

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Lotus it is then!

[Pierce89]

surely he's not going to work on a lotus badged Lola powered by a Lotus badged BMW powerplant.

[munudeges]

Mike Gascoyne stands out, from Key's time with Jordan/Spyker/FI, Gascoyne also worked at Sauber in the early 90s.

+1
Which is why I think Caterham are 3rd favourites to land him.

So X is looking at who James has worked with in the past and Mike Gascoyne's name features prominently, and you then logically believe as a result that Caterham where Gascoyne actually is are third favourites and a team where there are two dozen technical directors already are the most likely.....? I must confess, your logic naturally escapes me at times JET.

[munudeges]

James Key is going to Lotus Cars Motorsport Total reports. They have the Le Mans prog

Sounds logical. He's not going to give up being a technical director and master of his own destiny to blend into another team. Does this mean he's going to be on the Le Mans programme then?

[Byronrhys]

Sound more like he's going gardening leave there then assimilate into Lotus F1 as chief Engineer?

[xpensive]

Sound more like he's going gardening leave there then assimilate into Lotus F1 as chief Engineer?

Leaving Sauber for Genitals-Lotus-Rexona, what in the world would be the point of that?