McLaren have announced that they have secured the services of outgoing Williams technical director Sam Michael as their new sporting director from next season.
Michael resigned from his long-held role at Williams in May ahead of a planned end-of-season departure following their worst ever start to a Formula 1 season but has continued working on improving the team’s current FW33 amid an ongoing restructuring of the team’s technical department, which has seen former McLaren man Mike Coughlan appointed to a senior role.
McLaren have operated without a sporting director since team stalwart Dave Ryan was suspended and ultimately sacked for his role in the lying scandal at the 2009 Australian Grand Prix which also involved Lewis Hamilton, but on Tuesday revealed they had moved to sign up Michael to fill the void from 2012 onwards.
In a statement the Woking squad said Michael would join the senior management of the team in addition to taking specific responsibility for the development and management of the team’s trackside operations.
Speaking about his new role, Michael expressed his delight at joining McLaren and is looking forward to working with drivers Hamilton and Jenson Button.
“I’m extremely excited to be joining Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. Being a racer my whole life, I know that McLaren is one of the all-time greats of Formula 1,” Michael said.
“I already know and respect many of the team’s senior technical management figures, and becoming a member of that excellent working unit was one of the prime attractions of this new position.
“Equally, for some time I’ve closely observed and greatly admired both Lewis [Hamilton] and Jenson [Button] as grade-one drivers, and therefore regard it as an enormous privilege to be able to work with both of them.
“I’ve spent 11 seasons with WilliamsF1, have many fond memories, and truly wish them all the best. In the near future, however, I will become 100 per cent focused on Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, and will be aiming to ensure that the team’s famous rocket-red victory T-shirts will be seen many times over the coming years.”
McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh believes Michael’s experience will bolster the squad’s technical operations – which he reckons is now the strongest in F1.
“Speaking on behalf of everyone at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, I’m very pleased to welcome Sam as an important senior addition to our race team,” he said.
“He’ll bring a very valuable blend of experience and expertise to our pitwall, and will also enrich the technical management we provide for our drivers.
“I’m certain he’ll work extremely well with our senior technical management team, which I firmly believe will now become the strongest in all of Formula 1.”
In a separate statement issued simultaneously, Michael’s current employers Williams confirmed his last race with the team will be in Singapore next week and wished the Australian well in his future position.
Team owner Frank Williams said: "I am delighted that Sam has found a new role that will enable him to continue to apply his energy, passion and experience to Formula 1. On behalf of everyone at Williams I wish him a successful move to his new team.
"I would also like to thank Sam for his help in enabling a swift and smooth transition to our new technical leadership. Mike Coughlan and Jason Somerville are settling in very well and the restructuring will be complete when Mark Gillan joins us as Chief Operations Engineer on 19 September."
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