Why did Alfa Romeo/Sauber appoint Andreas Seidl CEO and not team principal? F1 pundit explains reason

Alfa Romeo/Sauber has effectively won the 'F1 team principal silly season' by luring Andreas Seidl from McLaren. There are, however, question marks over why Andreas Seidl has been appointed as the CEO and not the team principal (his role at McLaren). One of the reasons behind that is the fact that Seidl will be replacing Frederic Vasseur, who handled both the CEO and team principal roles at Alfa Romeo.

This is very common not only in Alfa Romeo, but in many other F1 teams as well. Toto Wolff, for instance, handles both roles as well at Mercedes. There is a lack of clarity over how Seidl will go ahead in his role. In one scenario, he does the same thing that Vasseur did and handles both the CEO and the team principal role. The other scenario is Seidl hiring someone else as his team principal at Alfa Romeo/Sauber, and in the background, he works on putting things in place for Audi's initiation in 2026 in F1.

Speaking about Andreas Seidl's appointment, F1 pundit Lawrence Barretto feels that Alfa Romeo has more than managed to find an able replacement for the departing Frederic Vasseur. He said:

"Losing Vasseur, who had a strong relationship with Rausing and played a key role in helping Alfa Romeo achieve their best constructors’ championship position in a decade with sixth this year, was a blow to the Sauber-operated Swiss team."

Barretto continued:

"But they have responded impressively by tempting Andreas Seidl back to Hinwil. Seidl has transformed McLaren into a solid midfield team with the potential to return to F1’s top table during four years at the helm. He was popular at McLaren and rated highly by many in the paddock."

Barretto believes that there is a possibility that Seidl could in turn split duties just like his predecessor did at Alfa Romeo. He said:

"His F1 experience – along with his expertise running Porsche – will be invaluable as Sauber bolsters the operation ahead of the arrival of Audi in 2026, with the German manufacturer set to make Sauber their factory team. Splitting the role that Vasseur did makes sense, too, as it will allow Seidl to focus on the overall strategy of the Sauber Group – which has a successful technologies arm – while allowing the new Team Principal to solely run the team."

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The new Alfa Romeo signing hoping to repay the trust with results

The former McLaren team principal was excited about joining the team and was hoping to repay the faith the team had in him. In the team's press release, he said:

"It is great to join the Sauber Group from January: this is a team with a rich history in Formula 1 and an organization 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. I want to thank Finn Rausing and everyone at the Sauber Group for their choice: I am looking forward to repaying their trust with my work."

Seidl's appointment does show how seriously Audi is taking its entry into Formula 1. Luring someone away from McLaren almost three years before its work team starts racing in the sport is a big win for the manufacturer.