Taylor is Sauber's surprise new chief designer.

Sauber has put an end to the speculation over who would replace the departing Sergio Rinland, by announcing a complete outsider as its new design chief.

Taylor joins the Swiss team from McLaren International, where he has worked as a design engineer since September 1995. The 37-year old Briton has 14 years of experience in design and project management, primarily in the field of advanced composites, and has been successively employed by Advanced Composites Group, Team Lotus, Larrousse and McLaren International.

His appointment appears to scupper the rumours which suggested Gary Anderson, John Barnard or Alan Jenkins as possible replacements for Rinland, who leaves Sauber by mutual agreement, for private reasons.

"I would like to thank Sergio for all his work during his time with us," Peter Sauber said, "and for the C20, which has already begun to demonstrate its highly competitive qualities during preliminary testing."

His Leeds-born replacement's motorsport career began as a project engineer and then engineering manager with Advanced Composites Group, where he worked on the composites for the Le Mans-winning Mazda 787 sportscar and Jaguar's XJR-10. After a brief spell at Team Lotus in 1990 he returned to Advanced Composites Group to work on composites for the Larrousse F1 car and project management of composite production for the 1992 Indianapolis 500-winning Galmer IndyCar.

Further F1 work followed at Gentech UK between 1992 and 1995, as a composites design engineer creating specifications for the Larrousse F1 car, prior to the move to McLaren International in 1995. There he was involved with specification of composite construction of primary structures, particularly the monocoque and wing elements.

Taylor will join Sauber in time for the start of the 2001 season.