It has been an unprecedented 24 hours in Formula 1, with a series of movements in the Team Principal market. McLaren driver Lando Norris and Williams’ Alex Albon have paid tribute to their out-going chiefs Andreas Seidl and Jost Capito, who will no longer be in charge at their respective teams ahead of next season. Let’s take a look at what these changes mean for both teams.
The Impact on McLaren
McLaren’s Andreas Seidl will now be moving to Ferrari as the team principal for 2023. This is significant news for the team, as Seidl had been instrumental in their rebirth from the ashes of a difficult period that saw them fail to secure points or podiums between 2014 and 2017. Under his leadership, McLaren have gone from strength-to-strength, securing three race wins and four pole positions over the past two seasons alone. As such, when Lando Norris was asked about his departing boss at McLaren he said: “I want to thank him for all his hard work and effort he put into it over the last couple of years. He always believed in me since I joined McLaren.”
The Impact on Williams
Williams also announced their own changes this week with Jost Capito stepping down as Team Principal alongside Technical Director FX Demaison. While it was expected that Williams were planning major changes ahead of 2021 after a difficult start to life under new owners Dorilton Capital, Capito’s departure still came as a surprise given how highly rated he was within the team. Driver Alex Albon took to social media soon after to share his appreciation for Capito’s influence during his time with Williams: “He has been an amazing leader since I joined Williams last season…I am grateful for everything he did for me personally & wish him all the best!”
What began as a single announcement from Ferrari soon turned into an avalanche of changes across multiple teams in Formula 1 – with both McLaren and Williams announcing significant shifts in personnel structure over the course of one day. Both drivers Lando Norris and Alex Albon paid tribute to their departing Team Principals – offering heartfelt thanks for their respective contributions during their time at each team. As we look ahead towards 2021, only time will tell what kind of impact these departures will have on both squads going forward – but it is clear that they won’t easily forget those who led them through some challenging times over recent years.