Sauber technical director James Key says they aim to introduce “several” major upgrade packages through the upcoming season.
Key has returned to the Swiss team as technical director for the first time since 2012 after being released from the same position at McLaren following their disappointing start to the 2023 season.
Arriving back at Sauber, Key says the team has notably grown in his decade away from their Hinwil factory.
“It’s great to be back,” Key told media including RaceFans. “There’s a lot of familiar faces still around. A lot of the people I was lucky enough to work with last time I was at Sauber are still there so there’s a level of familiarity.
“The team’s grown. We’re still a small team, but nonetheless it’s still pretty big – many hundreds of people. It’s getting tight for parking spaces and office space – a normal problem when you hit that.
“I think in general some of that small team efficiency is still there, but inevitably as you grow as a team you begin to lose that. So pulling that back is one of the things that we do need to do a little bit more.”
The independent team is embarking on two years under an interim identity. It raced as Alfa Romeo for the last five years and has taken on the name of their sponsors Stake for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Then in 2026 it will become Audi’s factory team.
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Key says there is a clear pathway for Sauber to follow as they expand and enhance their technical department ahead of the arrival of Audi, which will produce a bespoke power unit for the new regulations coming in 2026. However he says it will take some time for the team to fully realise their intended growth.
“In terms of next steps, there’s a very significant, well-documented plan,” he said. “We’re already acting on it. Attracting all the right talent to the team, to join some very good talent that is already there, is obviously a priority that we’re working on hard in the background.
“There is a lead time to people [arriving] of course, with gardening periods, we were aware of that. We’re certainly not waiting for that. There’s a lot of stuff we can do now without any extra people and so on. For sure there’s things that the team can do with its current form better. But ultimately, to achieve our goals, we have to expand in all the key areas – in fact, in all areas. Everywhere has got to take a step up regardless…
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