McLaren seem to have fucked up the snaring of James Key from STR as their new Technical Director. As mentioned Key has a long term contract with STR and normally in such situations negotiations of when, gardening leave duration etc would take place between in this case STR and McLaren. Normally the team losing the employee would be keen to get him off the premises ASAP for obvious reasons. However rather than contacting STR to negotiate a smooth exit and compensation, counter offers (ie releasing the previously unavailable Norris to STR) for a swift gardening leave period, McLaren chose to announce it had secured Key's services by Twitter without contacting STR.
Needless to say STR were peeved and have in return vowed to make life difficult, implying a demand of the maximum 12 month gardening leave, suggesting he is contracted until 2020, something the currently Technical Director lacking McLaren (following the departure of previous key technical staff) would be keen on avoiding, needing talented design input as they try to ensure they design and create an even better best chassis on the grid.
Zak cant blame this one on Boullier!
McLaren won't get Key for 'a long time' - Red Bull
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko is adamant the McLaren Formula 1 team will not be able to employ Toro Rosso technical director James Key until his contract runs out.
McLaren announced on Thursday that Key would become its new technical chief, but it would not confirm a date.
It is understood that McLaren boss Zak Brown was talking to Red Bull about the terms of Key's departure, but those discussions hit a snag when the story emerged in the media and was subsequently confirmed by McLaren.
It now appears that Red Bull wants Key to fulfil his contractual obligations to Toro Rosso.
"He has a long-term contract with Toro Rosso," Marko told Autosport.
"We had a discussion with Zak, and instead of coming back to us, there was a press release done.
"So we'll stick to the contract, and McLaren will have to wait for quite a long time."
Marko made it clear that he expects Key to see out his contract, which is understood to stretch to 2020.
"Of course. There's a contract for quite a long time. Why do we have contracts?" he said.
"We have to analyse the whole situation. As McLaren is making press announcements, we have to look seriously at the legal situation.
"But it's sure we won't release him earlier."
Asked if Key was now on 'gardening leave', Marko replied: "As far as I know he's on holiday at the moment, and we won't put him in a position where he gets all the latest information, that's clear."
Marko also downplayed suggestions that Red Bull would use the situation to get access to Lando Norris, having sounded out McLaren about the Formula 2 frontrunner earlier in the year.
"It's a very clear situation, if they don't put him in an F1 seat by September 30, he is a free [agent], so what do you want to deal?" said Marko.
Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner also expressed concern about the Key situation.
"Obviously it's a situation between James and Toro Rosso," Horner told Sky Sports F1.
"But Red Bull Technology provide services to Toro Rosso, so IP is obviously extremely sensitive.
"That's that we're pretty protective off. We're obviously keen to have an understanding of what the situation is with James and Toro Rosso in the relatively near future."
Autosport article via the free to view without restriction Eurosport site.
https://au.eurosport.com/formula-1/mcla ... tory.shtml
