Why contracting a Red Bull Chief Mechanic is a statement by Audi

At first glance, it does not seem like a transfer that should generate huge headlines. After all, Lee Stevenson was 'only' Chief Mechanic at Red Bull Racing. The Brit was no Adrian Newey (chief designer), no Pierre Waché (technical director) or Gianpiero Lambiase (Max Verstappen's race engineer) at the Austrian team. That Stevenson is seeking refuge elsewhere after 18 years is anything but strange. It seems he has the desire to achieve something different after all those years. However, the fact that he chose Sauber/Stake F1 - soon to be Audi - is a statement from the German manufacturer.