Pat Fry to leave McLaren

According to RaceFans, McLaren's engineering director Pat Fry is to leave the Formula 1 team. Fry, previously a long-term employee at McLaren, returned in September 2018 to replace Matt Morris.

The exact reason for his departure is currently unknown. Going into their home race in two weeks time, the Woking-based team didn't announce the news themselves, but they haven't denied it either.

His walk through the exit door isn't a surprise. His tenure at the team was expected to be short as he was only hired on a temporary basis pending the arrival of technical director James Key.

Fry, who has also worked for Benetton, Ferrari and Manor, can't work for another team for at least six months. This is so that his knowledge of the current McLaren car can't be passed on to their rivals.

A switch to Renault or Williams would be possible, the latter team recently officially said goodbye to technical director Paddy Lowe.

The 55-year-old played a key part in designing the McLaren chassis for the season. The team is currently experiencing their best season for many years and sit in pole position to claim the 'best of the rest' place.