Toro Rosso at odds with McLaren on James Key's appointment!

Just hours after McLaren officially confirmed that current Toro Rosso technical director James Key would lead its engineering department in 2019, the Faenza-based squad appears to be contesting the announcement.

Oddly, McLaren did not issue a press release announcing Key's appointment, which means that details related to the timing of the British engineer's arrival at Woking remain unknown.

McLaren recruits Toro Rosso tech boss James Key!

The team did however communicate the news on social media. But Toro Rosso's Franz responded this afternoon with a somewhat confusing message of its own on Twitter.

"James Key has a long term valid contract with the team. The contents of the contract are confidential, therefore we won’t comment on any of the details."

There is speculation that Red Bull likely won't let Key depart without Toro Rosso negotiating a form of compensation as his contract has yet to run its term, whether it be hard cash or perhaps by enjoying the benefit of bringing McLaren junior Lando Norris into the bull pen, as Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko attempted to do recently.

There's currently a lull in Red Bull's young driver programme, forcing Marko to seek young talent out of the energy drink's stable.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.