Caterham parts company with technical director Smith

Caterham has announced a restructuring of its senior management team which includes technical director Mark Smith leaving with immediate effect.

Smith joined the team in 2011, but has yet to see Caterham score a point in his three seasons. The team says the restructuring is designed to deliver a "more streamlined, efficient management process", and as a result Smith's role will not be directly replaced.

Instead, Caterham has created a new technical committee to report in to team principal Cyril Abiteboul, with John Iley, Jody Eggington and Gerry Hughes all taking on additional responsibilities. Iley is now Head of Performance Engineering, while Eggington becomes Head of Design and Manufacturing and Hughes is now Head of Track Operations alongside his previous role as Chief Engineer.

Abiteboul said he was sad to see Smith leave but insisted that a change to the team structure was vital.

"First I would like to thank Mark for his time and dedication to the development of our team since he first joined in 2011, Abiteboul said. "We and Mark part company on good terms and with our best wishes for the future. It was obviously a tough decision to see someone of Mark's calibre go, but we have identified the need to restructure as a key aspect of increasing our on-track performance and forming a new Technical Committee composed of John, Jody and Gerry will allow us to do exactly that.

"After investing last year in our new factory, and over the winter in aerodynamic development capacity, the new structure gives three specialists we are lucky to have with us the opportunity to use their experience, passion and dedication to help us progress. We are not happy with our current performance levels and John, Jody and Gerry, with my full support and that of our shareholders, staff and partners, are the right people to help take us forward."