Ex-Sauber CEO Andreas Seidl was attempting to install Aston Martin boss Mike Krack as Audi’s Formula 1 Team Principal before his departure, according to a report.
Seidl vacated his position as McLaren boss in December 2022 to lead Sauber Motorsport as the group’s F1 side prepares to evolve into a works Audi entrant in 2026.
But it was announced last month that the German had departed Audi alongside Chief Representative Oliver Hoffmann as the brand revises its management structure.
Erstwhile Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto has been appointed Sauber Motorsport’s Chief Operating and Chief Technical Officer to head Audi’s pending entrance.
Seidl’s exit comes amid Sauber enduring a tumultuous campaign as the Hinwil-based squad remains the sole team on the grid that still hasn’t recorded a single point.
Following Binotto’s arrival, Audi announced that it had acquired Red Bull’s long-time Sporting Director Jonathan Wheatley to become the automotive brand’s F1 boss.
However, things could have taken on an alternative turn had Seidl remained at the helm as Formu1a.uno posted that he wanted to make Krack Audi’s Team Principal.
Krack replaced Otmar Szafnauer at Aston Martin in January 2022, but he’s become the third longest-serving boss amid the high turnover that’s occurred at F1 teams.
Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll placed the Luxembourgish engineer at the helm to oversee the Silverstone-based squad’s aspiration to become a title challenger.
The British marque was on the right track as it capitalised on prioritising the right car concept to land six podiums in the first eight races with Fernando Alonso in 2023.
But Aston Martin has since regressed in the pecking order as McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari have all recovered to win multiple races alongside Red Bull this season.
Meanwhile, Aston Martin has declined towards the midfield amid more unsuccessful updates and sits fifth in the Constructors’ standings, 193 points behind Mercedes.
Krack remains optimistic, though, that Aston Martin’s prospects remain bright as it welcomes multiple new technical recruits and expands its Silverstone headquarters.
Formu1a.uno has written that Krack held discussions with Seidl over a move to Sauber/Audi, which collapsed once it was published the latter would not be continuing.
While Seidl was pressing on with his long-term vision about how Audi’s budding team should look, Binotto is reported to have reached a pre-agreement with Wheatley.
Wheatley was rumoured to have been considering his options, which was amplified when Red Bull boss Christian Horner was cleared from a probe into his behaviour.
