06/05/2016
NEWS STORY
Max Verstappen's race engineer Xevi Pujolar has left Toro Rosso.
Max Verstappen's race engineer Xevi Pujolar has left Toro Rosso. However, the Spaniard will not be following the Dutch youngster to Red Bull.
Pujolar, who joined Toro Rosso in 2014 as race engineer to Jean-Eric Vergne, first entered F1 in 2002 with Jaguar, subsequently joining Williams for six season, Hispania for one and then returning to Grove.
The exact reason for Pujolar's sudden departure from Toro Rosso is unclear but it is said there was an argument between the Spaniard and team principal Franz Tost over the Sochi weekend.
Following speculation on Thursday, Pujolar confirmed the news on Twitter.
"I did really enjoy and feel really proud of the work I did with Toro Rosso," he wrote, "now time to get ready for the next challenge! Grazie Faenza!"
Shortly after, Verstappen wrote: "We did a great job together mate. You will come back stronger than ever!"
It is said that in the wake of Verstappen's promotion to the Red Bull seat, Toro Rosso will carry out a staff re-shuffle, with claims that the youngster's data engineer Olivier Helvig is also to leave the Faenza outfit.