Sauber have downplayed the loss of technical director James Key, revealing that his departure was due to dissatisfaction from both parties.
Last week, just days before the launch of their new C31, Sauber announced that Key had left the team with immediate effect.
The decision came as a surprise to many outside the team, however, Sauber CEO Monisha Kaltenborn says it was by mutual agreement.
"For a while both sides have been feeling that things have not really been working out, and also not the way both sides expected it," she said.
"So I guess this situation is now the result of that.
"James Key joined us at a time when we were in the transformation from a works team to a private team, and his contribution was very valuable to the team.
"We're thankful to him for that.
"We now have a structure in place that we are confident about, that is the right one for the team to go ahead. So it's not any short term solution for us, but a long term structure."
Asked by journalist Adam Cooper about the terms of Key's departure given that he has said that he has another job lined up in the UK, Kalterborn said: "Like I said before, for a while both sides have had the feeling that the expectations are not just coming in.
"About gardening leave, these are details we will not discuss in public, but we will now be very shortly maybe saying something about it, or he will. He is still in the company, and we will decide on the details."
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