Chief engineer Pat Fry leaves McLaren after 17 years

Chief engineer Pat Fry leaves McLaren after 17 yearsPat Fry, chief engineer at McLaren, has left the Woking based F1 team after 17 years. He was the lead designer of last year’s MP4-24 race car and is in charge of the 2011 MP4-26 challenger. According to team principal Martin Whitmarsh Fry will be replaced by someone “younger” and “hungrier”.

Fry started his career with Benetton in 1987 and worked as a race engineer and test team engineer till 1992 before a move to McLaren in 1993. At Mclaren, he moved to engineering in 1995 and was instated as the chief engineer alongside Tim Goss in 2002. Both alternate as lead designers – Goss is in charge of this year’s car, which has powered championship leader Jenson Button to two race wins so far this season.

“I think it was probably good for him, the right decision for him to take a bit of a break, take a breather. I think he’s worked very hard for the team for a number of years. Within our team, then, I think we’ve got quite a bit of a talent and depth, so in these situations it’s a great opportunity for someone younger, maybe hungrier, to come along and replace all of us,” Whitmarsh was quoted as saying.

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Jacob Alexander

Jacob Mathew Alexander has been a motoring nut for as far as he can remember and has recently turned his passion into writing. After spending some time in the same industry in the UK, Jacob's work is from a slightly different perspective.

 

Comments

  • wahedenator on May 14, 2010 at 2:25 pm

    go join lotus la . .
    or proton perhaps
    :D

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  • nyawere on May 14, 2010 at 2:34 pm

    wooo….. Going to Lotus F1..????

    1st..!

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  • Squawk on May 14, 2010 at 2:40 pm

    Lotus? Does that mean bye bye Mr Gascoyne?

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  • AE86 (Member) on May 14, 2010 at 3:00 pm

    on the other word, he is fired…
    sad… he must be hate to eat fried sotong for the rest of the life…

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    • why fried sotong?

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      • AE86 (Member) on May 14, 2010 at 5:25 pm

        cause if directly translate fried sotong to chinese, then it mean being fired…. ask any chinese ppl will noe..

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  • accel on May 14, 2010 at 3:31 pm

    or maybe going to china??
    hahahah….

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  • Tiadaid on May 14, 2010 at 3:48 pm

    The way Martin Whitmarsh described Fry’s replacement as “younger” & “hungrier” seems to me like Fry was pushed out rather than voluntary jumping out. That’s why Ron Dennis had his “Ronspeak” language. You can’t tell the underlying motive of what he’s saying because of that Ronspeak.

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  • sheikomatic on Jun 23, 2010 at 6:59 pm

    i dont believe he’ll be beneficial, cars designed by him, MP4/22 used stolen technical information from ferrari, the espionage controversy. MP4/24 is a dog at the start of the season

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