Audi boots Seldl out of Kick Saubar

[Nitrodaze]

The hot news of the moment is that Audi has sacked Andre Seidl from his team principal role at Kick Sauber which would become Audi F1 in 2026. Former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto shall take over the roles of team CEO and CTO.

Kick Sauber debuted the 2024 season with a new James Key car which was completely redesigned from the ground up. Unfortunately, the hoped step forward did not materialize. Instead, the team has drifted to the rear of the grid, as the new chassis revealed all sorts of issues. Bad enough for them not to be attractive to Sainz it appears.

Is Seidl's exit a bad thing for Sauber, l wonder? After all, Siedl's and Key's departure from McLaren opened the way for McLaren's newfound progress. Stella stepped up and elevated the team in ways Seidl could not. Kick Sauber's woes are a very bad outcome for James Key as a designer. Those bright ideas from his Toro Rosso days, seem to be evaporating.

Audi formally rebrands the Sauber team as Audi in 2026. It would need to secure a place on the grid among the other big car brands such as Mercedes, Ferrari and Aston Martin. The task of Siedl was to get the chassis to a level that was as close as possible to Aston Martin at least l suspect. Binotto, an engine man, would now have his job cut out to either repair whatever was wrong with the James Key chassis or seek to recruit a new designer for the 2025 season. With Seidl out, it is most likely that Key shall join him out of the door.