FERRARI, McLaren and Sauber have all appointed new team chiefs in a bizarre managerial merry-go-round.
Ferrari have signed Fred Vasseur as team boss after axing Mattia Binotto earlier this month.
Vasseur, 54, joins the Italian team from Sauber, who have confirmed that highly-rated German, Andreas Seidl, has taken the position of CEO of the Sauber Group, which in turn is expected to run as the Audi F1 team in 2026.
Seidl, who previously worked at BMW and Porsche, has left his role at McLaren where he has helped the team rebuild after a wretched few years.
And he will be replaced by Andrea Stella, who has been promoted from his role as Executive Director by the Woking-based team.
It is one of the biggest managerial shake-ups in years and will have widespread repercussions across the paddock as each new arrival tries to recruit new team members.
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Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna said: “We are delighted to welcome Fred Vasseur to Ferrari as our team principal.
“Throughout his career he has successfully combined his technical strengths as a trained engineer with a consistent ability to bring out the best in his drivers and teams.
“This approach and his leadership are what we need to push Ferrari forward with renewed energy.”
Vasseur will be charged with delivering Ferrari their first title since 2008.
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He has a long career in motorsport and co-founded the ART Grand Prix junior team, which helped Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Nico Rosberg on their way up the ladder.
Meanwhile, McLaren will be disappointed to lose Seidl, who has taken credit for the team’s improvements on track since he joined in 2019.
Seidl will take over the CEO position held by Vasseur at the Sauber Group, which run as the Alfa Romeo team in F1.
However, he will not hold the role of Team Principal, with a new appointment to be announced in due course.
Seidl said: “It is great to join the Sauber Group from January: this is a team with a rich history in Formula One and an organisation I know really well from my time working and living in Hinwil for four years.
“I can’t wait to join the team and work with all the colleagues at the Sauber Group on the ambitious goals we have set together.”
And McLaren boss Zak Brown says replacing Seidl by promoting Stella was a natural choice.
He said: “Andrea is a highly talented, experienced and respected member of our team with a strong track record of leadership and success in Formula One.
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“His move into this role is a great example of the strength in depth we have in our team, and I’m excited to be working more closely with him with a joint focus on moving up the grid and winning races.”
The triple signings come a day after Williams parted company with their team boss Jost Capito, with no replacement yet announced.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
