by He will not hold the title of team principal, however, and will instead help Sauber appoint someone to take on the role.
Fred Vasseur, who was confirmed to leave for Ferrari on Tuesday, has assumed both the CEO and team principal roles of the Hinwil team.
ANALYSIS: Why is Vasseur the right man to lead Ferrari’s revival in F1?
Seidl is the obvious choice to take over the organization, which was acquired by Audi before the German manufacturer enters F1 in 2026.
While the team was owned by Sauber, he worked as an engineer on the team and later led the LMP1 project of Audi’s sister company and arch-rival Porsche.
As CEO, he will oversee the activities of the F1 team as well as Sauber’s technology business.
So actually the job represents a promotion rather than a sideways move from McLaren.
McLaren has appointed veteran engineer Stella to replace Seidl, while Alfa Romeo and Williams are looking for team principals with the departure of Jost Capito, the last name announced on Monday.
Andreas Seidl, Team Principal, McLaren, team principals at the Press Conference
Photo: FIA Pool
“It’s great to join the Sauber Group from January,” said Seidl. “This is a team with a rich history in F1 and an organization I know very well from when I lived and worked in Hinwil for four years.
“I look forward to joining the team and working on the ambitious goals we have set together with all of my colleagues at the Sauber Group. I want to thank Finn Rausing and everyone at Sauber Group for their choices.
“I look forward to repaying their trust with my work.”
Sauber president Rausing said: “It is a great pleasure to bring Andreas Seidl back to Hinwil as CEO of Sauber Group.
“Andreas’ experience is unrivaled and gives Sauber Group a clear understanding of what it takes to achieve sustainable success.
“He took over an upward company and shares our commitment to growing our organization. I look forward to many more successful years together.”
Audi issued a statement welcoming Seidl’s appointment, calling for a “promising election” ahead of its 2026 merger with Sauber.
“We welcome the choice of our future partner,” said Oliver Hoffmann, CTO of AUDI AG.
“Andreas Seidl has extensive experience in leadership roles in motorsport programs, both on the side of the manufacturer and the Formula 1 team. His performance in motorsport is impressive.”
McLaren announced the appointment of Stella as well as Seidl’s departure, promoting him from executive director for the racing role with immediate effect. He will report to Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing.
“I feel privileged to take on the role of team principal as the next phase of being a part of the McLaren F1 Team,” said Stella.
“I am grateful to Zak and the Shareholders, to all my colleagues and to those who have supported me throughout my F1 career, for putting their trust in me.
“We’re realistic about the amount of work ahead of us to get up the grid, but I’m excited and brave to be with a team full of talent, experience, racing spirit and dedication on this journey.”
Brown paid tribute to outgoing team principal Seidl, saying that he “provided great leadership for the team and played an important role in our F1 performance improvement plan and our journey back to the front of the grid”.
“I thank him for his transparency throughout the process, which gave us time to plan accordingly,” said Brown.
