04/09/2018
NEWS STORY
As McLaren seeks to rectify a situation which in recent weeks has seen its drivers, Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne, claim the team is going backwards in terms of reliability and performance, the Woking outfit is looking to seriously overhaul its technical team.
In recent months technical boss Tim Goss and engineering chief Matt Morris have left the team, along with racing director Eric Boullier.
While the Woking outfit had hoped to have James Key in place, having lured the Briton from Toro Rosso, it appears Red Bull isn't making things easy and it could be some time next year before he is able to come in from his garden.
As a result, the team has re-recruited Pat Fry, who worked at the Woking outfit between 1993 and 2010, as engineering director.
Fry, who was recruited by Manor as an "engineering consultant" in January 2016, began his F1 career in 1987 with Benetton where he was initially an R&D engineer. Following time as an engineer with the Enstone outfit's test team and race team, in 1993 he moved to McLaren where he was in charge of the Woking outfit's active suspension programme.
Having risen to the role of chief engineer, Fry left Woking to join Ferrari as technical director and head of race engineering in 2011.
He left the Maranello team in late 2014, part of the cull that saw various other established names depart as Ferrari sought to turn its fortunes around.
Pending the arrival of Key, McLaren has its work cut-out as its seeks to turn things around next season when it will feature an all new driver line-up.
"From a technical standpoint Andrea Stella is leading the way and will work very closely with Pat," confirmed Zak Brown. "Andrea will set direction, targets and performance criteria and Pat ultimately will work with him to execute that. When I told the team the new this morning it was extremely welcomed."
Ironically, Fry was at McLaren in 2007, the last timed the Woking outfit ran a British rookie alongside a Spaniard.