McLaren F1 team's principal Andreas Seidl (R) follows the second practice session at the Red Bull Ring race track in Spielberg, Austria, on July 9, 2022, ahead of the Formula One Austrian Grand Prix. (Photo by Jure Makovec / AFP)
With the rumour mill having briefly spun into action, Alfa Romeo Sauber has now confirmed its new team principal as former McLaren boss Andreas Seidl in place of Ferrari-bound Frédéric Vasseur.
An announcement made mere hours after Vasseur’s confirmed switch to Maranello as replacement for Mattia Binotto, Seidl’s appointment at Sauber ends a three-year stint at McLaren and comes in preparation for the Swiss team’s link-up with Audi from 2026.
Before his move to Woking, Seidl served as Race Operations Director and later team principal of Porsche’s 919’s LMP1 sportscar project that netted three back-to-back victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 2015 to 2017.
While viewed as a strategic move given his association with Porsche and Audi, both part of the Volkswagen Group, Seidl’s appointment signals his return to Sauber for the first time since the firm’s partnership with BMW in the early 2000s.
“It is great to join the Sauber Group from January: this is a team with a rich history in Formula One and an organisation I know really well from my time working and living in Hinwil for four years. I can’t wait to join the team and work with all the colleagues at the Sauber Group on the ambitious goals we have set together,” Seidl said in a statement.
His now former team has meanwhile confirmed his replacement as being former Ferrari engineer Andrea Stella who famously guided the fortunes from the pit wall of Kimi Räikkönen and Fernando Alonso.
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“I’m delighted that Andrea Stella will step into the Team Principal role and lead our F1 technical and operational programme. Andrea is a highly talented, experienced and respected member of our team with a strong track record of leadership and success in Formula 1,” McLaren CEO Zak Brown said in a statement.
“His move into this role is a great example of the strength in depth we have in our team, and I’m excited to be working more closely with him with a joint focus on moving up the grid and winning races.”
Of his new role, Stella said, “I am grateful to Zak and the Shareholders for their trust in me and to all my colleagues and those who have supported me throughout my F1 career.
“We are realistic about the amount of work ahead of us to move back up the grid, but I am excited and encouraged that I am in this journey together with a team full of talent, experience, racing spirit and dedication.”
The latest shake-up before the new season starts in March next year still need concluding at Williams following the Grove-based team’s announcement on Monday evening (12 December) that its team principal Jost Capito has left the organisation after two years.
At present, a successor has not been named, though an announcement is expected within due course.
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