James Key has been confirmed as Alfa Romeo’s new technical director, effective September 1, 2023.

It is a return to the team for Key, who first joined Sauber in 2010, and is a critical building block under Sauber CEO Andreas Seidl as the team lays the foundations for its factory Audi status from the 2026 season.

“I am delighted to be returning to Hinwil to work with old, and new, colleagues at Sauber,” said Key.

“I have very fond memories of my time there before. 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.

“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 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 and Seidl most recently worked together at McLaren, with Seidl leaving in December 2022 before Key departed in March this year as the team underwent a number of ‘organisational changes’.

This saw Key’s overarching role as McLaren’s executive technical director replaced by three more specialised positions in an ‘F1 Executive Technical Team’, which saw the Briton depart after almost five seasons.

“I am delighted to welcome James back home to Hinwil as he joins us to shape the future of this team,” Seidl said.

“James’ 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 organisation 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.”

Key’s F1 career started at the Jordan Grand Prix team in 1998, becoming technical director in 2005 through multiple iterations to become Force India (now Aston Martin) before joining Sauber in 2010, Toro Rosso in 2012, and McLaren in 2018.

Key replaces Jan Monchaux, who was promoted to the position of Sauber technical director in mid-2019, after starting with the team the previous year following a stint at, coincidentally, Audi Sport.