Sauber has a new technical structure, following the departure of Matt Morris to McLaren. He was the second major engineer from the Swiss team to be poached in recent years, following the departure of Pierre Waché, who was snaffled by Red Bull Racing. The team has also lost James Key to Scuderia Toro Rosso. Despite this, the team continues to have a technical committee running things with Australian-Dutchman Willem Toet in charge of aerodynamics, Britain’s Ben Waterhouse looking after vehicle dynamics and a new mechanical design chief in France’s Eric Gandelin, who has been promoted from his role as the team’s head of concept design. Gandelin has been with Sauber for 11 years, starting out as a composite designer before taking on his current role in 2009. Prior to joining Sauber he spent three years as a composites engineer at Prost Grand Prix, until that organisation died in 2002.
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joeblogsf1 
Sadly this team appears to be sliding backwards, no doubt tied to lack of sufficient sponsorship. It’s a management issue not nailing down a budget through sponsorship, how can you expect to keep talent?
Joe, are these just typical F1 revolving door type personnel movements (up the food chain, so to speak), or is something going on at Sauber that’s causing these key people to leave?
They did well last year…
“They did well last year…”
Success, or even the potential of it, probably has nothing to do it.
There are others who work in F1 teams besides all the “names”, those who are equally crucial to getting a competitive car to the track. During the last couple of years, and more recently too, personnel have moved from the Championship winning Renault F1 to Caterham (then Lotus), and from Red Bull to Lotus/Genii, for example; ask yourself Martin, why they would do that…?
Indeed Joe but I wonder if their strategy is different from the other middle teams? Whatva they aiming for in the long term?
Yves
Maybe they are missing peter sauber.
Why. He’s still there.
they need some brilliant inspiration and not too soon! I like the Sauber team and would love to see them doing better; maybe all these departures will do some good!
This is has got to be the nth change at Sauber, makes one wonder how much of this must be affecting Nico Hulkenberg, waking up everyday realizing that its just not getting any better. Where does he go from here, why doesn’t RBR consider him for a change, he is definitely a notch better and more experienced than the ever yapping Ricciardo and the zen like Vergne !
Speaking of independent racing teams, hope you make it to the Williams 600GP celebration Saturday night and help Sir Frank put a dent in that newly acquired Dom Perignon, pretty special moment – Enjoy
Lack of Budget, location and very conservative culture runs through the team!
Sauber must struggle to keep luring people away from the English base of most race teams.