McLaren Racing has appointed Andreas Seidl as managing director of its Formula 1 team. Seidl will report to Zak Brown with responsibility for all aspects of the team’s F1 racing program.
Seidl will join the team during 2019 and comes to McLaren from his position as Porsche LMP1 Team Principal. This will mark a return to Formula 1 for Seidl, who worked at BMW Motorsport from 2000 and 2006, then at BMW Sauber as head of track operations until 2009. He graduated from the Technical University in Munich with a diploma in Mechanical Engineering.
Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, commented:
“We are delighted that Andreas is joining McLaren to lead our F1 technical and operational program. This is a significant appointment for us on two fronts.
“First, it is another important step in our F1 performance recovery plan and long-term commitment to F1. Second, concentrated senior leadership on our F1 program is an integral part of the long-term strategy of McLaren Racing to expand into other forms of global motorsport over time.
“Andreas is a highly capable leader with a track record of success in everything he has been involved with, and I look forward to working with him.”
Andreas Seidl said:
“This is an enormous privilege and challenge, which I am ready for and committed to. To have an opportunity to contribute to the McLaren legacy is extremely special and inspiring.
“McLaren has the vision, leadership and experience but, most importantly, the people to return to the front, and that will be my absolute focus and mission. I can’t wait to join the team and begin working with my colleagues at McLaren, our partners at Renault and, of course, Carlos and Lando.”
Well in terms of hires, the future could be a lot brighter than the present for McLaren with Seidl and Key coming onboard and Sainz and Norris to build the future around.
Long way to go but it is at least positive noises.
Well but if he is going to be the managing director, directly overseeing both technical and operations side, then what is Zak Brown going to do and why is he there? Just to supervise Seidl?
As I understand it all and I may be wrong but I have Zak brown as CEO of McLaren Racing which means he oversees the entire of McLaren Racing and has a voice around the table in the larger McLaren Group which no one else at McLaren Racing does have. You then have Seidl appointed to manage the F1 team which creates some room between McLaren’s F1 efforts and its other racing programmes. They’ve been very clear that any other racing projects under the McLaren Racing banner would not impact the F1 programme. So you’ve got Bob Fernley managing the… Read more »
Just what McLaren need, more management.