McLaren departure of Seidl comes as no surprise to Brown

Andreas Seidl's departure from McLaren certainly did not come as a surprise to Zak Brown. He told GPblog and others during an inserted press briefing. Indeed, according to the British formation's CEO, it had been clear for some time that Seidl would go to Sauber in the future.

The 46-year-old German still had a contract at McLaren that ran until the end of 2025. Earlier this calendar year, Seidl visited Brown to tell him he would be working for Audi from 2026. It gave McLaren the opportunity to start thinking about the team's future.

However, Seidl's departure gained momentum when Ferrari chose to loosen Frederic Vasseur from Sauber. Seidl then dropped by Brown again to ask him if his departure could be brought forward, after which the McLaren boss gave permission.

Brown did not want a 'gardening leave' for Seidl

In doing so, Brown explicitly states that he did not want a 'gardening leave', which would oblige Seidl not to compete for another team for a certain period of time after his departure. This gives the German the opportunity to join Sauber immediately.

For Brown, giving Seidl the freedom to work at Audi was a clear decision. The CEO enjoyed the fine relationship he had with Seidl and therefore felt he should give him the opportunity to take on the next challenge.