Sad news: According to Ferrari’s head manager, Fred Vasseur, all employees have been……..

The day after McLaren’s Andreas Seidl’s departure to Sauber is confirmed, the constructors continue their game of musical chairs.

Two weeks after Mattia Binotto stepped down as team manager, Frederic Vasseur has been officially named as the new leader of Ferrari’s Formula One team.

After five years as the head of the Sauber-run Alfa Romeo team, Frenchman Vasseur joins the Scuderia as team principal and general manager, fueling suspicion that he was headed for the top position.

Vasseur’s departure signaled the start of a hectic time of change among F1’s senior management, more akin to the driver market’s infamous silly season.

The same day, race director Andrea Stella took over as CEO of the Woking-based Sauber Group, replacing Andreas Seidl of McLaren. Jost Capito, the CEO and principal of the Williams team, quit after just two seasons, less than a day ago.

After a promising but ultimately disappointing year, Vasseur will take over as Ferrari’s fourth team principal since 2014. He will be tasked with bringing the team’s on-track fortunes back to life.

Ferrari had a championship-contending vehicle for the first time since 2018, but it fell short of expectations. Due to several mistakes made by its drivers, strategists, and operational staff, they ended the season in second place in the constructors’ standings, 205 points behind Red Bull. By July, Charles Leclerc had given up on winning the crown.

Vasseur assisted in transforming Sauber/Alfa Romeo back into a formidable midfield power during his tenure there, following an uncertain financial and competitive future.

They achieved their best placing in ten years in 2022, coming in sixth in the rankings.With Vasseur’s hiring, he will reunite with Leclerc, who drove for the Swiss squad during his 2018 F1 rookie season.

In a statement, Vasseur said, I am really thrilled and honored to assume the leadership of Scuderia Ferrari as team principal.

Ferrari has always represented the very best of the racing world to me as someone who has retained a lifelong passion for motorsport.

As the team prepares to become Audi’s F1 entry in 2026, Seidl will be replacing another Alfa Romeo team principal at Sauber, following his departure from McLaren.

In the interim, Audi will invest in the Hinwil-based team, although the precise amount of the investment has not been disclosed.

According to CEO Zak Brown of McLaren Racing, Seidl told him during the 2022 season that he planned to depart the team when his contract expired at the end of 2025, and it was very evident that he would be joining Audi.

That process was accelerated, however, by Vasseur’s probable transfer to Ferrari.

“Finn Rausing, the co-owner of Sauber, gave me a call to see if there was a discussion to be had to perhaps release Andreas early when it became evident that Fred was moving to Ferrari,” Brown stated.

I would be happy to make that change today if Andrea [Stella] would be happy to join as team principal.

Stella was always our number one pick, according to Brown. Stella had previously worked at Ferrari and took the position without being aware of Seidl’s intentions.

Audi welcomes the hiring of Seidl as their future partner, as he is a smart choice to head the team during this time.

The 46-year-old German spent four years living in Hinwil while working as an engineer for Sauber-BMW. After that, he managed BMW in the DTM and served as the World Endurance Championship head of race operations for Porsche.

Nine podiums, one win, and a highest season finish of third in 2020 have helped the team claw their way back towards the head of the field since Seidl joined McLaren.

The most recent events mean that Williams and Alfa Romeo won’t have team principals in 2023. German Capito leaves Williams after a difficult couple of seasons, along with technical director FX Demaison. The family-owned team was sold to Dorilton Capital at the conclusion of 2020.

Williams had their finest year since 2017 in 2021, placing third with 23 points, but they were easily the slowest team in 2022 as well, taking last place with just eight points.