McLaren confirm Key appointment from Toro Rosso

McLaren have confirmed the appointment of Toro Rosso technical director James Key to fulfil a similar role as the beleaguered Woking squad plot a turnaround in the Formula 1 fortunes. The move continues a wide-reaching reshuffle of technical staff in an attempt to change the team's wretched recent form.

The role of technical director has been created at McLaren for Key to come in and is a sign of Zak Brown making good on his promise to alter the way the team works.

Despite swapping an understrength Honda power unit for Renault, and a promising start to 2018, McLaren's form has nosedived recently, with only Fernando Alonso's race-craft delivering results.

Stoffel Vandoorne, by contrast, has not scored a point since April's Azerbaijan Grand Prix and has suffered a Q1 elimination in each of the last four grands prix.

Key played a crucial role in incorporating the Hinda engine to Toro Rosso for 2018 and Pierre Gasly delivered the Japanese marque's best result for a decade with a fourth-place finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix in the early weeks of the campaign.

McLaren is pleased to confirm that James Key will join the team in the role of technical director. pic.twitter.com/A7HtBqS5zo — McLaren (@McLarenF1) July 26, 2018

It is unclear when Key will begin his role, with BBC Sport reporting that a period of gardening leave is yet to be agreed.

In a connected piece of news, McLaren's chief designer Matt Morris has stepped down from his role and has been linked with a move in the opposite direction to Toro Rosso.

Morris had formed part of a three-man leadership group established by now-resigned racing director that included Tim Goss, who was removed from his role of chief technical officer earlier in the season.

Head aerodynamicist Peter Prodromou is the only member of the group who remains.