Tim Goss has been promoted to the role of Technical Director at McLaren, replacing Paddy Lowe who will spend the remainder of the year tending his garden ahead of a move to Mercedes.

Goss, who assumes the role with immediate effect, joined McLaren in 1990 as a Development Engineer, and has been a central and successful stalwart of the team's engineering and technical function ever since, leading car design operations since his elevation to Director of Engineering in January 2011.

"I'm delighted to have been offered the Technical Directorship of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes - one of the most prestigious positions in global sport," said Goss, "and I'm greatly looking forward to making a significant contribution to Vodafone McLaren Mercedes' ongoing success in that role.

"As before, I'll be leading our car design operations, while continuing the process of evolving and improving our technical and engineering function in collaboration with Martin [Whitmarsh], Jonathan [Neale], Sam [Michael], Neil [Oatley] and the rest of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes' hugely experienced technical and engineering team."

"I'd like to offer my congratulations to Tim on his new position," added Martin Whitmarsh, "which, after more than 20 years of exceptional service for McLaren, he richly deserves.

"His quiet and unassuming persona conceals a fierce competitiveness and a wealth of experience, coupled to an unrivalled level of expertise in the field of Formula 1 car design and engineering.

"It's a little-known fact, for example, that over the past 23 years he's made crucial technical and engineering contributions to the winning of five of McLaren's 12 Drivers' World Championships and three of McLaren's eight Constructors' World Championships, and that he's been the principal definer and developer of McLaren's F1 car design function for more than five years.

"In line with what Tim has said, I firmly believe that our technical and engineering team is the best in the F1 business, and that its strength in depth has always been and will continue to be an important element of our on-track success.

"Moreover, I'm certain that, in his expanded role, Tim will continue to lead it very capably indeed, and will evolve and improve it. That's his brief, and it's already clear that he's prepared to embrace it with energy and enthusiasm.

"In truth, though, this is a natural evolution in Tim's already very successful career, and the fact that the decision to offer him our Technical Directorship was so straightforward for Jonathan and me demonstrates two things: the robust and logical succession-planning that underpins the senior engineering personnel structure within Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, and the commitment we have to developing our people, over many years, allowing their talent and expertise to flourish in a collaborative and collegiate environment. That's good work practice, and it's worth lap-time.

"Paddy [Lowe] will be performing a different role within McLaren until the end of the year. He's been a good and successful F1 Technical Director, and we wish him well when he embarks on a fresh challenge in 2014."

Earlier today, the Guardian reported that Lowe would not be travelling to Melbourne with the Woking team and would join Mercedes at the end of the year.

The move to Mercedes will intensify speculation regarding the future of Ross Brawn, though it is understood the recruitment of Toto Wolff has clamed the situation at Brackley in the wake of Niki Lauda's arrival.