F1 News: Sauber Announces Signing Of High-Profile Former Red Bull And McLaren Engineer

Sauber has signed former Red Bull and McLaren engineer Stefano Sordo.

May 5, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Kick Sauber driver Zhou Gunayu (24) during the Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

In a significant move aimed at reinforcing their technical ranks, Sauber Formula 1 has welcomed Stefano Sordo, a well-regarded engineer with a storied career at Red Bull Racing and McLaren. This hire comes as Sauber pivots toward its future role as the official Audi works team, set to debut in 2026. Stefano Sordo will play a pivotal role in shaping the Hinwil-based team's technical strategies, reporting directly to James Key, the technical director.

Andreas Seidl, CEO of Sauber and former McLaren team principal, noted the importance of Sordo's appointment, explaining, as quoted by Autosport:

"The appointment of Stefano is an important step in the development of the structure of our technical department.

"Stefano knows what a winning squad needs, brings a wealth of experience to the team and, with the different array of roles he played in the past, he is perfectly placed to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of our technical operations, and address what is required.

"We have a strong technical team in Hinwil, and Stefano’s appointment will help us to harness these skills and turn them into performance as we continue in this crucial time for our outfit, with the Audi F1 works team being readied for its debut."

Before joining Sauber, Stefano Sordo made substantial contributions to Red Bull Racing’s championship successes from 2010 to 2013 and further honed his skills at McLaren as the director of vehicle performance. Recent years saw him serving as technical director at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, handling responsibilities in the IndyCar and IMSA series.

Key also commented on the new signing, explaining:

“As our technical departments continue to grow towards our new organisation and future ambitions, I am delighted to welcome Stefano to the team as performance director.

"Stefano is a key addition to our team, one which will shape our understanding and priorities for the new cars’ performance direction and in-season development, working closely with myself, as well as our vehicle performance, aerodynamics and track engineering groups.

"Stefano brings a wealth of experience to the team, combined with his focused and hard-pushing approach, and is a strong and influential team player throughout. I welcome Stefano to the team and look forward to working with him towards our goals.”

For his part, Stefano Sordo shared his excitement and vision for his new role at Sauber.

"I am delighted to join and take on a role that will have a direct impact on unlocking the performance we already have within our company, and help it reach new heights," said Sordo.

"The team is at a crucial juncture in its history, with the start of the Audi adventure just around the corner, and I am looking forward to tackling the challenge that lies ahead.

"I am excited about what the future holds: the targets the team has set for itself are ambitious, but I see a lot of confidence from everyone within this organisation."