Former Mercedes chief joins RIVALS in F1 blow

Kick Sauber have officially confirmed the appointment of former Mercedes senior engineer Stefan Strahnz to spearhead their management team.

Strahnz, who left the Silver Arrows in June, will join Sauber on October 1 ahead of their transition to Audi. After 13 years at Mercedes, the German will now report directly to CEO Andreas Seidl in the newly created position of programme director.

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During his time under Toto Wolff's stewardship, Strahnz held a multitude of positons, including chief engineer for their cost and commercial programmes.

“I am delighted to welcome Stefan to the team," Seidl told the press after the deal was finalised.

"I am sure that he will bring an incredible amount of experience from his previous roles, in which he won multiple races and championships, to further complement and strengthen our leadership team.

"With his unique experience, Stefan will play a vital role in driving the team’s overall effectiveness and prepare us on our journey to full finance regulation optimisation as we become the Audi F1 factory team.

"Working closely with myself, the management team and all our expanding technical, operational and finance departments, Stefan’s main mission is to deliver fully streamlined and optimised F1 car programmes, from concept through to track introduction.”

Strahnz too shared his excitement at the move, with his sights firmly focused on Audi's official works entry in 2026.

"I am immensely proud and excited to join the talented people at Sauber Motorsport on our exciting journey to become the Audi F1 factory team in 2026," he said.

"I have experienced a similar journey in my previous roles, and I will be applying all my learnings and energy into this new and challenging programme to develop the required tools, processes and culture for sustainable long-term on- and off-track success.

"It is a true privilege to join such an iconic brand as Audi with all its previous technology and motorsport achievements. I look forward to taking a leadership role in our ambitious targets to win championships in F1.”

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