Audi and Alpine both find themselves in tumultuous situations due to internal policies that undermine the stability and effectiveness of their Formula 1 programs. For Carlos Sainz, these uncertainties pose a significant risk to his future in F1, making his choice a delicate balance between success potential and organizational stability. The recent analysis by Joe Saward, an English journalist with great experience in the world of motorsport, indicates that both Alpine and Audi are at risk of implosion due to the internal policies of the manufacturers. A situation so critical that it makes one hesitate not only the main target for Audi on the driver market i.e. Carlos Sainz but even Andreas Seidl, who arrived from McLaren at the end of 2022 to take on the role of CEO of Sauber Motorsport.
Audi: difficulties and political clashes
“Audi is in difficulty for various reasons. One is that he took over Sauber, which has been in great difficulty for the last two years, and another is because brand new executives are coming in and they expect to do everything and who are at the highest levels of Volkswagen corporate policy,” explains Saward. Oliver Hoffman, currently in charge, has been virtually kicked out of Audi's board of directors and thrown into the Formula 1 programme, suggesting that his presence is not considered essential and may not last long.
Saward continues: “Hoffman is a company man, not a racing man, so he brings in people he knows from the corporate world, which doesn't help members of the racing team who know what they're doing. These managers, as happened at Alpine Renault, come in thinking they know all the answers and mess everything up.” Andrea Seidl's permanence at the top of the program therefore seems uncertain and will depend on the prevalence of a corporate or sporting vision.
A not very inviting project for Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz finds himself at a crossroads regarding his future in F1 beyond 2024. The choice is between Audi or Williams. Choosing between one or the other project involves risks, and above all a lot of time to get to the top. However, compared to Williams, Audi seems to be in more difficulty also due to internal friction which could slow things down further.
“My feeling is that Audi will come and will essentially be more or less the same infrastructure as the Sauber – explains Saward in conclusion. They will have more money and all the innovations they need, but many of the old members of the Audi Motor Sport department have gone elsewhere or retired, so there are many question marks. And if you're a driver with a limited career ahead of you, you're going to look at those question marks and think you can't stay there for six years before they win something.”
Political uncertainty and the lack of a stable, proven structure make the Audi project less attractive to a driver looking for short-term victories.
Even Alpine is in total chaos
The situation is no better for Alpine. Saward also gave his point of view on the political situation of the French team which risks having to abandon Power Unit production and become a customer team. "In Enstone, they wiped out almost all the good people, a whole generation of people who know from the old days how to win. They recently got rid of Rob White, who made Enstone and Viry work together to win two championships in 2005 and 2006." Saward explained.
The escape of Esteban Ocon, destined to move to a lower-tier team, namely Haas, says a lot about Alpine's problems. According to Saward, the French team pays for having made drastic changes without concrete evidence that the new people can be up to the task. “The manufacturers who come to F1 think they know all the answers, and when they realize they don't know the answers they hire someone who does and these people tell them it will take a long time and the manufacturers don't believe them. Exactly what Otmar Szafnauer did. He told them they should do this, that and the other and the team even did well (winning a GP with Ocon) but they kicked him out because he was taking too long."
“I understand that if you are the head of a big car company you have other things to worry about like Chinese manufacturers who are going to enter the car market and kill you or the French government who wants to merge you with Peugeot. But you have to spend a little more time thinking about Formula 1 not just deciding in a split second what you think is best to do.”
Source statements: FormulaPassion
