Though the team slipped back slightly to fifth this season just gone, its driver Lando Norris was the only one outside the big three of Red Bull/Ferrari/Mercedes to achieve a podium in 2022.
Seidl formerly headed up Porsche’s LMP1 WEC squad, and has now apparently been lured back to lead sister brand Audi’s new F1 operation, which will be officially branded as a works squad from 2026.
Woking was quick to announce Seidl’s replacement in the form of Andrea Stella. Formerly a race engineer for Michael Schumacher and Kimi Räikkönen at Ferrari, the Italian has been McLaren’s executive director of racing since 2019, having initially joined in 2015.
“His move into this role is a great example of the strength in depth we have in our team,” said Zak Brown.
That depth has been reduced by the departure of Seidl, who was identified by Brown as one of the crucial hirings he made when joining the team. However, he also classed Stella among the select group.
“I would say that the the reason why we’re having success today is is getting the right people in place: Andreas Seidl [team principal], James Key [technical director], Andrea Stella [racing director and Piers [Thynne, operations director] have done an awesome job and that’s just on the racing side,” said Brown on Motor Sport’s ‘My big break’ podcast in January.
“I think I built a really strong leadership team that are doing a great job leading. Out of 800-900 people, I changed ten key ones but I think those 10 people have made a huge difference.”
Alfa Romeo/Audi: Frédéric Vasseur out, Andreas Seidl in
Vasseur has galvanised Alfa in its rise up the grid
DPPI
In 2022 Hinwil achieved its best constructors’ result in a decade with sixth, helped much in part by the sound operational practice combined with positive atmosphere boss Frédéric Vasseur brought to the team.
The Frenchman came to Sauber in 2017 after the squad had struggled for a number of seasons. Renewing relations with Ferrari, primarily in the form of an engine deal, helped the Swiss squad fight back.
The team’s reaction to his departure indicated the high esteem in which he is held.
“Progress on and off track was followed by a growing sense of confidence in Hinwil: confidence that this team could once again be at the sharp end of the grid; confidence that things would get better season after season; confidence that top talent would once again flourish,” it said.
“This all stemmed from Fred’s own sense of confidence: not in himself, but in the project that was presented to him in 2017 – a project in which he was one of the first to believe.”
Now Andreas Seidl, who knows the VW group well from his time as Porsche LMP1 team principal, comes in to try and continue the progress Vasseur initiated and prepare for Audi’s partnership with the team from 2026.
As CEO, he will only take on half of Vasseur’s previous role. The German will have to recruit a team boss to run trackside operations as Seidl oversees the entire project.
Williams: Jost Capito out
Capito has been shown the door by Dorilton
Florent Gooden / DPPI
The overall atmosphere at Williams appeared to have improved through the last two seasons over which Jost Capito has presided, but team owner Dorilton Ventures appears to have decided that the results simply weren’t good enough.
There was an uplift in results in 2021 when the German took over, 23 points –including a podium from George Russell at the rain-shortened Belgian GP – meaning it finished eighth in the constructors’ table.
An unsuccessful effort with its 2022 car though means that Williams has now slipped to the back of the grid once more. Despite some impressive performances from new signing Alex Albon, eight points was all it could muster.
Dorilton has now decided it’s time for a change but, after releasing someone of Capito’s considerable expertise, who can help lift Williams off rock bottom?