Mark Smith, the Sauber technical director, has left the Formula One team.
Smith, the former Red Bull Racing and Caterham technical director, joined Sauber last July but, with the Australian Grand Prix launching the season this weekend, he has departed.
According to reports, Smith has returned home to the UK due to personal reasons, with his replacement yet to be announced.
“The technical director of the Sauber F1 team, Mark Smith, has decided to go back to the UK for family reasons,” a statement from the team read. “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.”
