The Formula 1 off-season is in full swing, which means heads are starting to roll at the top level of motorsport. Exactly two weeks following team principal Mattia Binotto’s resignation, Ferrari has appointed Sauber boss Frederic Vasseur as his replacement.
Vasseur has spent the last five seasons with Sauber (currently Alfa Romeo), and helped co-found Ferrari’s ART Grand Prix junior team, which helped greats such as Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Nico Rosberg make their way into the sport.
“As someone who has always held a lifelong passion for motorsport, Ferrari has always represented the very pinnacle of the racing world to me,” Vasseur said in a statement.
With Vasseur out as boss of Sauber, Andreas Seidl, current trackside head at McLaren, has been hired to step in as the team’s CEO. He won’t take the team principal title, but instead help find someone to fill that role, according to Motorsport.com.
Seidl’s resume is extensive. He worked as an engineer for BMW-Sauber in Formula 1 for nine years before stepping up to manage the brand’s DTM return. Eventually Seidl made his way to Porsche as team principal for the brand’s WEC team, taking three Le Mans wins.
“It’s great to join the Sauber Group from January,” Seidl said in a statement. “This is a team with a rich history in F1 and an organization I know really well from my time working and living in Hinwil for four years.”
Seidl’s replacement, Andreas Stella, was hired from within McLaren to be the team’s new principal. He previously held the title of executive director for racing, and will now report directly to CEO Zak Brown.
“I feel privileged to take on the team principal role as the next stage of being part of the McLaren F1 Team,” Stella said in a statement. “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.”
