Why Seidl prefers Sauber-Audi project over McLaren

The transfer from McLaren to Sauber seems like a step backwards for Andreas Seidl, but those who dig deeper understand why the German informed his employer that he wants to leave. Indeed, Sauber is a bigger contender for the long-term world title than McLaren.

New leadership at McLaren

Seidl started as McLaren's team boss in 2019 and was tasked with revitalising the team. After the years with Honda and Fernando Alonso, the team had sunk and with Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris, James Key and Seidl, the team needed to be reshaped.

Seidl answered that call and climbed to fourth place among constructors in 2019 with the Woking-based team. Yet 2020 was only the first real year he laid the foundations for, and that was also the first car designed entirely under Key's direction. That the team climbed through to third place in 2020, though Ferrari's demise played a big part in that.

In 2021, the team took a step back. The cars didn't change much in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic and the postponement of the new regulations (from 2021 to 2022), but McLaren chose to switch to Mercedes engines. They dropped one place in the final rankings as Ferrari regained their form, but the main focus was on 2022.

The year of big changes was disappointing in that respect. McLaren reached the podium only once. It was here that McLaren's limitation, previously denounced by Ron Dennis, became clear.

Ron Dennis was right

Under Dennis' leadership, McLaren made the choice of Honda engines in 2015. That switch from Mercedes to Honda did not work out well for the British team, but the subsequent partnership with Red Bull Racing did prove the former team boss right: as a customer team, it is hard to win a title in F1, but as a factory team you can. However, Dennis was thrown out of the job, McLaren became a customer again and Red Bull would triumph along with Honda.

Whereas Red Bull realised this in time and partnered with Honda, McLaren took a step back. First to Renault and then to Mercedes. As a Mercedes customer, however, you are always at the mercy of its product, where the factory team can perfectly match the engine and the car.

Because McLaren refused to be bought out by Audi or Porsche, it will remain dependent on other manufacturers in the coming years. McLaren is a big name in F1 with eight world championships, but its last title dates back to 1998 in constructors and 2008 in drivers with Lewis Hamilton.

Sauber-Audi offers better future prospects

Although Sauber is at first glance a step backwards for Seidl, it is easy to see what he sees in the project. Audi will partner the team from 2026, which means Sauber will become a factory team. Now, as a customer team, they are already sixth in the constructors' standings and so it is clear that Frederic Vasseur has laid a solid foundation at the team.

Audi's arrival is not a guaranteed success, but the chances of getting to the top are much higher with a manufacturer as a partner than as a customer. Seidl therefore indicated to Zak Brown that he would leave at the end of 2025. Then his contract would expire and Seidl did not want to renew it. However, the departure of Frederic Vasseur to Ferrari accelerated the process.

In a press briefing, Brown told GPblog and others that Seidl was not given any obstacle. There will be no 'gardening leave' and so Seidl can start immediately with his new employer in January. It will be a transitional phase with Alfa Romeo still on the car in 2023 and between 2024 and 2025 still running Ferrari engines under Sauber's name. Still, a bright future beckons for Seidl, who as Sauber's CEO gets to fully shape the new project. Now all that remains is to find a suitable team boss.