Opinion: Why Andreas Seidl's exit is a bad sign for the McLaren project
Andreas Seidl's departure from McLaren is one of many surprises in team personnel this year, marking a significant change ahead of the 2023 season.
McLaren has spent several years in a process of restructuring and rebuilding, in a bit to make a return to its days of consistent race victories and championship success.
Seidl was an integral part of this upward trajectory, making substantial progress at the Woking-based squad after a series of painful years with Honda engines.
However, his departure is indicative that his faith in McLaren's long-term project is shaky at best.
It would be a stretch to suggest that Seidl's move to Audi is a catastrophe for McLaren, who have already signed the highly competent Andrea Stella as his replacement.
Stella's experience in Formula 1 (including several years at Ferrari) will provide him with the necessary tools to maximise McLaren's potential.
And when considering the 2023 season is only months away, it is unlikely Seidl's departure will have any significant impact for next season.
The issue with Seidl's decision to leave is what it implies about McLaren's chances of fighting at the front.
Seidl has previous links with Audi, so it could be argued that this move is unrelated to his belief in what McLaren can achieve.
With that said, his decision to leave and become Sauber CEO in 2023 (three years before Audi officially joins F1) suggests minimal faith in McLaren's chances of breaking from the midfield.
After spending many seasons leading the British squad to the front of the midfield, surely Siedl would postpone a move to Audi if consistent victories from the Woking-based team were on the horizon?
Drawing conclusions about McLaren's long-term prospects after Seidl's decision is nothing more than speculative, but this is not to say there is no reason for scepticism.
As a customer team, there have always been questions about the team's ability to threaten the top three teams - who are either engine manufacturers or (in Red Bull's case) working exclusively with one.
The last decade in Formula 1 has shown that jumping from the midfield and breaking into the top three is exceedingly difficult, so Seidl's departure will do little to inspire confidence in McLaren's ability to buck the trend.