Paddy Lowe will leave McLaren at the end of the 2013 season, the team confirmed on Monday afternoon. Tim Goss has stepped up to become the outfit's Technical Director, while Lowe takes on another role before moving to rivals Mercedes.
Lowe, who joined McLaren back in 1993, will remain employed by the Woking-based squad until the year is out but his position is now set to resemble 'gardening leave'. The 50-year-old's all but confirmed switch to Mercedes is likely to trigger yet another technical reshuffle, which could influence Ross Brawn's future as Team Principal at the Silver Arrows.
"Mercedes wants a long-term commitment," Brawn said recently. "With a lot of additions I want to see how things go before I make a long-term commitment."
Lowe's immediate replacement, 49-year-old Goss, is an even longer serving member of McLaren. Having joined the team in 1990, Goss has held the roles of Chief Test Team Engineer, Head of Vehicle Dynamics and Chief Powertrain Engineer, leading Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh to describe a 'natural evolution' in his career.
"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 explained. "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 Formula 1 car design and engineering.
"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."
On the subject of Lowe, Whitmarsh simply confirmed that the two parties will be parting ways at the end of the year: "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."
Lowe will not be travelling to Melbourne for the opening Grand Prix of the season.
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