Pat Fry, who worked as engineering director on McLaren’s current MCL34 chassis, is to leave the team, RaceFans understands.

A former long-term McLaren employee, Fry rejoined to the team in September last year. His return followed the departures of previous technical director Tim Goss and engineering director Matt Morris in the wake of McLaren’s poor start to the season.

Fry’s appointment was expected to be on an interim basis while McLaren awaited the arrival of new technical director James Key, who joined them from Toro Rosso in March. When approached for a comment by RaceFans a McLaren spokesperson said the team does not comment on personnel developments as a matter of policy, but did not issue a denial.

Possible future destinations for Fry are thought to include Renault or Williams. The latter announced last week it had formally parted ways with former chief technical officer Paddy Lowe.

Fry originally worked at McLaren from 1993 to 2010 before taking up an assistant technical director role at Ferrari. He later became engineering director at the team but left at the end of 2014. He rejoined McLaren last year following a brief spell at the Manor team, which collapsed at the end of 2016.

RaceFans understands Fry will serve a six-month term of gardening leave following his departure from McLaren.

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has described Fry as one of two fathers of the MCL34 chassis which has helped turn the team’s performance around last year. McLaren ended 2018 sixth in the world championship but scored just 10 points over the final nine races. It currently holds fourth in the standings.

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2019 F1 season