Martin Brundle’s verdict on Ferrari team boss change: ‘Mercedes and Red Bull will be smiling'

Martin Brundle believes Mercedes and Red Bull will view Ferrari’s change of team boss as good news, because it will “destabilise” their F1 rival. 
(L to R): Mattia Binotto (ITA) Ferrari Team Principal and Frederic Vasseur (FRA) Alfa Romeo F1 Team Team Principal in the
(L to R): Mattia Binotto (ITA) Ferrari Team Principal and Frederic Vasseur (FRA) Alfa Romeo F1…

A dramatic F1 managerial merry-go-round has been sparked into life during the off-season following a reshuffle at Ferrari, with Frederic Vaꦿsseur confirmed as Mattia Binotto’s successor earlier this week. 

That was almost immediately followed by the announcement of 168澳𒅌洲5最新开奖结果:Andreas Seidl’s fast-tracked departure f🌠rom McLaren to become CEO at Sauber, effectively replacing Vasseur.  

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But former F1 driver-turned-pundit Brundle has questioned the timing of Ferrari’s decision to make such a fundamental change, and suggested it will leave the Italian outfit in a state of “limbo”.&෴nbsp;

"I'm not quite sure why Ferrari would choose now to have a month without a boss," Brundle told Sky. "I do think they should have given Binotto more timꦆe.

"If I was Mercedes or🍃 Red Bull right now, I'd be smiling bec⭕ause continuity is everything.

"As Formula 1 seasons geꦰt longer and more intense, you have to be careful of these sea changes of 🍃personnel.

"Mercedes have got real conti𝔍nuity, as have Red Bull in key pers🀅onnel. Fred Vasseur has got to go in and find his way, get established, understand, and it's a tall order.

"It doesn't matter who you are, it'ꩲs going to take time unless you are a part of the fabric like [former boss Stefano] Domenicali was and like Binotto has been.

"It is such a fundamental change and it will destabilise them in the short term, it has to. Everybody will be slightly off b🌞alance thinking, where do they stand, and what's next. They'll be i♎n limbo.”

Toto Wolff (GER) Mercedes AMG F1 Shareholder and Executive Director. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 8, Azerbaijan Grand
Toto Wolff (GER) Mercedes AMG F1 Shareholder and Executive Director. Formula 1 World…

On Mercedes, Brundle added: “They will be smiling because🐎 they know what's wrong with their car and I think they'll come back with a mu🍒ch stronger in 2023.

"I do see Mercedes bringing the fight to Fer🅘rari a🐲nd Red Bull next season.”

‘Seidl’s exit bad news for McLaren, Norris’

Brundle also gave his verdict on the 🐓more surprising news of Seidl’s departure from McLaren. 

Seidl will join the Alfa Romeo-Sauber squad next year to ready the team ahead of🐎 Audi’s arrival in 2026, with McLaren naming Andrea Stella as his replacement in the team principal position with immediate effect. 

McLaren revealed Seidl had already informed theꦺ team that he would be joining Audi when his contract expired at the end of 2025, but Ferrari’s swoop for Vasseur ultimately sped up his move. 

Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren with Andreas Seidl, McLaren Managing
Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren with Andreas Seidl, McLaren Managing

"There's no do🐭ubt about it, losing Seidl is bad news for McLaren going forward," sa💟id Brundle.

"He's had a long term relationship with the Volkswagen group with Porsche so I can understand wᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚhat he's done and I can understand why McLaren wanted to expe⛎dite that.But this is not what they needed.

"The big thing for McLaren is their new wind tunnel in 2024. So Lando will be looking at it thinking, why has Andreas jumped shipꦺ? What has Andreas seen at Audi, that he much prefers to McLaren?

"Oscar [Piastri, new signing] will be disappointed as well because he would have done all the discussions, all the imaginat💝ions, with Andreas, for Oscar to join and Lando to stay.

"Lando is very close to Zak [Brown] and he is doing a great job there, there's a good structure at McLaren. I don't panic in the slightest for them, b👍ut you can't read this as good news."

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