Smith departs Sauber after just 9 months as technical director

Mark Smith has vacated his position as Technical Director of the Sauber F1 Team after being with the team for only 9 months. The team said in a statement that Smith returned to the UK for family reasons.

"The Technical Director of the Sauber F1 Team, Mark Smith, has decided to go back to the UK for family reasons. He has already left the company."

"We would like to thank Mark for his efforts and we wish him all the best for his future."

The departure leaves Sauber without a technical director, a situation that isn't new for the team, as Sauber operated without a technical director after James Key left in February 2012.