By Andrew Cutler
August 25 2012
It has been just over one month now since the rumors started circulatiing that Technical Director Giorgio Ascanelli might be on his way out at Scuderia Toro Rosso. While this story has gone 'quiet' over the current mid-season break, it has not been completely forgotten by the motorsports press.
With the resumption of the 2012 F1 campaign just around the corner, the focus on who might be tapped to replace Ascanelli - should he actually be resigning - has landed on James Key. The 40 year-old British engineer joined the Jordan squad back in 1998, and remained with them through their Midland, Spyker and Force India incarnations. In 2010 he left to join the Sauber team as Technical Director, staying on until February of this year.
F1 journalists Joe Saward and Peter Hesseler have both come out with recent articles claiming that Key has accepted the Technical Director's spot at STR, with a starting date of September 1; right in the middle of the Belgian GP weekend.
Ascanelli's rumored departure from the Faenza-based squad is said to stem from serious disagreements with team management over budget issues, especially as they relate to further expenditures for improvements to the STR7.