Sauber has announced that its technical director Mark Smith has left the team ahead of the 2016 Formula 1 season.
Smith joined the Swiss outfit mid-way through 2015 following stints Jordan, Red Bull, Force India and Caterham.
But now, eight months after being appointed technical director at Sauber last July, the team has confirmed Smith has returned to the UK for family reasons.
"The technical director of the Sauber F1 Team, Mark Smith, has decided to go back to the UK for family reasons," read a statement released by Sauber.
"He has already left the company. We would like to thank Mark for his efforts and we wish him all the best for his future."
Sauber has not revealed who will replace Smith as technical director at the team.
