The Team Principal silly season may have come as a slight shock to some, as many members of senior management within teams made significant moves. One of those was the departure of Andreas Seidl from McLaren to Sauber, the former Porsche LMP1 boss seemingly going back to his former employees as they look towards their future with Audi in 2026. The plan for Seidl was to always see off his contract at McLaren, according to Brown , but now his departure to Sauber as Chief Executive Officer shows "how serious" Audi are taking F1, according to Carlos Sainz Senior. "Andreas Seidl was recently brought in as McLaren's business manager," he said in an interview with Speedweek . "That shows me how seriously Audi is approaching the subject of Formula 1. Seidl is a guarantee for serious work and success, he triumphed with Porsche at Le Mans, and he brought McLaren up to speed." In the period since Seidl took over in 2019, McLaren have achieved eight podiums including one race win at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.
Sainz: Seidl is 'well connected' within Volkswagen group
Sainz, who has raced with Audi in the Dakar Rally, believes Seidl's experience will be valuable as the manufacturer looks to take the Sauber team to the front of the grid. He said: "Seidl is well connected within the group, he brings a lot of experience to his new job, he speaks German, it all fits together. His signing didn't surprise me and was logical. "Every time Audi takes on a sporting challenge, they have been capable of winning at some point. Audi will do everything to be successful. In the beginning, it won't be easy against strong competition."
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