Audi sets 'more realistic' target for F1 team

Audi announced it would enter Formula 1 in 2022

Audi says it has set a "more realistic" target for its Formula 1 project after analysing preparations for its debut in 2026.

The German car company initially set an ambition of winning races within three years of entry, but chief executive officer Gernot Dollner says Audi has "recalibrated our time path".

Dollner said: "We are aware it will be a several-year programme. We started the discussion of how ambitious we can be but haven't finished that discussion."

He added that Audi had "re-evaluated" its F1 programme last year but that the company had never considered abandoning the idea of competing in F1.

"It definitely is the right time," Dollner said. "The decision was well-prepared two and a half years ago. We re-evaluated it last year and we believe that F1 and Audi is a perfect fit - and it fits to our strategy and we are happy to have this project, knowing that it is ambitious and takes time.

"It was never questioned that F1 is a great motorsport platform, the pinnacle of motorsports. We just re-evaluated if our set-up was the right one.

"And then we came over to take complete responsibilities for Sauber earlier than expected, and the second step is a future-oriented management strategy."

Audi is to take over complete ownership and control of the Sauber team by the end of the first quarter of next year, and in the meantime has undertaken a major restructure of the F1 programme's management.

Last month, the previous management team of Oliver Hoffmann and former McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl were sacked.

In their place, Audi have recruited former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto as chief operating officer and chief technical officer, and Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley joins as team principal - at an undefined point before July next year.

Sauber board chairman Dollner, who will oversee them both, said what he described as a "dual leadership" was "the perfect solution for our project".

Dollner said: "It is a clear structure with clear responsibilities, and we believe Mattia and Jonathan will be the perfect team to share the responsibilities - and if a last decision will be needed I will take it, but I don’t see the need to do so.

"Of course, we discuss important things such as drivers together and come to a shared conclusion."

Sauber position 'very painful'

Binotto (pictured) will be running operations at the chassis base in Hinwil in Switzerland and the engine factory at Neuberg in Germany, while Wheatley takes charge of operations at the races

Dollner was speaking at a media briefing at the Italian Grand Prix alongside Binotto, who said no decision had been taken on a second driver for 2025 to partner Nico Hulkenberg.

Binotto said Audi "cannot accept" Sauber’s current competitiveness - the team are last in the World Championship this year - and that it could not continue into next season.

"We cannot afford [two seasons at the back]," Binotto said. "This is the team and we need to progress. The position is not a comfortable one. It is very painful. We need to do continuous progress day by day."

Dollner said Audi was determined to allow the F1 team to have the nimbleness to act outside of corporate structures.

"We are absolutely independent in handling this project," Dollner said. "With the new set-up we also improved, to make the F1 project as fast and independent from any corporate process.

"Only when it comes to marketing and some design aspects - and of course sponsorship - we need the link, but otherwise the decisions have to be taken in Hinwil. That's our first priority."

Audi was attracted to F1 by the new 2026 engine rules, which increase the proportion of power output provided by the hybrid part of the engine to close to 50%.

Binotto said Audi's design programme on its engine was going well, but he expected that the engine would not be fully competitive by the start of 2026.

"The programme and facilities are great but still there is a learning curve," Binotto said. "I am expecting initially to have some gap to recover, but it will only be once we get on track we will understand where we are."