Boullier departs from McLaren

McLaren racing director Eric Boullier has resigned amidst leadership changes in the former Formula One World Champion team.

Boullier said that he is really proud to have had worked with the team, but it is the right time to step down.

"I am very proud to have worked with such a brilliant team over the past four years, but I recognise now is the right time for me to step down. I want to wish everyone at McLaren the best for the remainder of the season and for the future," Boullier said.

With Boullier's departure, Gil de Ferran - who had been working at the team as an advisor - will take up the new role of sporting director, to maximise the effectiveness of the team's racing package.

While Simon Roberts, COO of McLaren Racing, will oversee production, engineering and logistics, Andrea Stella has been appointed as the performance director, responsible for trackside operations.

McLaren Racing's Chief Executive Zak Brown has said that the changes in the British team are the beginning of the positive transformation of the technical leadership of McLaren's racing organisation.

"These changes are the beginning of a comprehensive programme of positive changes to the technical leadership of McLaren's racing organisation. The team will invest to retain and attract the best talent, internally and externally, to return McLaren Racing to the front of the grid," Brown said.

Having endured a difficult three years with Honda power, McLaren had high expectations for 2018 after switching to Renault engines.

However, Brown says the performance of the team did not meet the expectations of their loyal fans.

"We have not met the expectations of anyone at McLaren, especially our loyal fans. This is not the fault of the hundreds of committed and hard-working men and women at McLaren. The causes are systemic and structural, which require a major change from within. With today's announcement, we start to address those issues head-on and take the first step on our road to recovery," he said

Brown thanked Boullier for his services to the team and wished him well for his future endeavours.