McLaren has announced that Tim Goss, formerly the team's director of engineering, has been appointed to the position of technical director, with 'immediate effect'.
Goss's appointment follows reports today that former technical chief Paddy Lowe is definitely on his way to
Mercedes, albeit not until after the end of the 2013 F1 season. Although the Woking-based outfit stopped short of confirming Lowe's move to its Brackley-based rivals,
McLaren team boss, Martin Whitmarsh did confirm Lowe will now fulfil a 'different role' until the end of the year, before then embarking on a 'fresh challenge' in 2014. No further details were given.
“Paddy will be performing a different role within
McLaren until the end of the year. He's been a good and successful F1 technical director, and we wish him well when he embarks on a fresh challenge in 2014,” Whitmarsh stated.
Meanwhile, Whitmarsh added that the decision to promote Goss was an easy one to make given his long history with McLaren.
“I'd like to offer my congratulations to Tim on his new position, which, after more than 20 years of exceptional service for McLaren, he richly deserves,” Whitmarsh continued.
“His quiet and unassuming persona conceals a fierce competitiveness and a wealth of experience, coupled to an unrivalled level of expertise in the field of F1 car design and engineering.
“It's a little-known fact, for example, that over the past 23 years he's made crucial technical and engineering contributions to the winning of five of McLaren's 12 Drivers' World Championships and three of McLaren's eight Constructors' World Championships, and that he's been the principal definer and developer of McLaren's F1 car design function for more than five years.
“I firmly believe that our technical and engineering team is the best in the F1 business, and that its strength in depth has always been and will continue to be an important element of our on-track success.
“Moreover, I'm certain that, in his expanded role, Tim will continue to lead it very capably indeed, and will evolve and improve it. That's his brief, and it's already clear that he's prepared to embrace it with energy and enthusiasm.
“In truth, though, this is a natural evolution in Tim's already very successful career, and the fact that the decision to offer him our Technical Directorship was so straightforward for Jonathan [Neale] and me demonstrates two things: the robust and logical succession-planning that underpins the senior engineering personnel structure within Vodafone
McLaren Mercedes, and the commitment we have to developing our people, over many years, allowing their talent and expertise to flourish in a collaborative and collegiate environment. That's good work practice, and it's worth lap-time.”