The Team Principals might have been jealous of the driver’s silly season in 2022. So they had their own version of the silly season, adding to the excitement. Although one shock move that few saw coming was Andreas Seidl parting ways with McLaren.
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Andreas Seidl has been with McLaren since their resurgent year of 2019. The German boss had brought a lot of changes to the Woking outfit since then. He was leading McLaren’s charge to return to the top of the field. Though, all of a sudden, he switched to Alfa Romeo (the Sauber Group) as their CEO amid a big switch-up of team bosses on the grid.
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So, as per F1 presenter Will Buxton, Seidl always had an interest in working on the Audi-Sauber project in 2026. It was also his future plan after his tenure at McLaren. On the Pitstop podcast, Buxton said, “Apparently, when Audi announced they were coming back to Formula 1, they went to Andreas [Seidl] as their first pick to be CEO.”
Formula One F1 – Monaco Grand Prix – Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco – May 20, 2021 McLaren Managing Director Andreas Seidl in the FIA Press Conference FIA/Handout via REUTERS
“Hey [Andreas Seidl] McLaren told: Look I am gonna go to Audi when my contract’s up. I am gonna go in 2026. But McLaren rather than all just sitting there and waiting, saying that we know that he is leaving in 3 years time.”
“So look if you want to go now, Go now with our blessing. And you know it’s all good and you can go. So they have let him go.”
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Although McLaren has got a replacement in Andrea Stella, it isn’t going to be easy to fill Seidl’s void. Andreas was a key factor in signing Lando Norris for a long-term deal. But without Seidl, can the papaya outfit still execute its future development plans?
The Challenges for McLaren after Andreas Seidl’s Exit
McLaren has trusted their internal talent, Andrea Stella, to take up the team principal’s responsibilities. But filling in Seidl’s shoes won’t be easy. Andreas Seidl was leading a 3-man technical leadership, including Racing director Andrea Stella as part of the restructured team hierarchy at Woking.
Formula One F1 – Bahrain Grand Prix – Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain – March 18, 2022 McLaren’s Lando Norris during practice REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
Besides Stella, this trio involved technical director James Key and production director Piers Thynne. But with Seidl gone, this hierarchy has the challenge of staying on course with the development plans.
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2022 was also meant to be the year when McLaren made a huge step in performance. Though as it turned out, they took a step backward and have fallen to 5th in the championship. So, looking at the future, it will take time before they can recover themselves to threaten the top 3 teams.
Although a major problem arising from this delay in getting to the top might be retaining Lando Norris. The young British driver has championship ambitions and is committed to McLaren as things stand. But as Seidl switched his paths unexpectedly, Norris may change his mind too.
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So McLaren’s performance in the next 2 seasons is key to retain Lando for the long term. What do you think? Will McLaren’s championship promise to Norris come to fruition without Andreas Seidl?
