Audi to F1: ‘We want to be in a winning position in three years’ time

A few months ago, at the final Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix, it was announced what was an open secret. Audi will leap into his F1 world championship from 2026, taking advantage of the new engine regulations that come into force therein. With the aim of zero carbon footprint in trucks by 2030, using more power in a race that also bets on sustainable fuels, Sauber’s majority share by Audi after this announcement The purchase has already begun this Monday at the Audi Spain event in Madrid, Madrid, to expand the current facility at its headquarters in Neuburg (Germany) to create its own engines. Adam, head of the Audi project in Formula 1, where his Baker makes his first appearance and the brand’s new home, ‘Great His Circus’, where he uses four rings to talk about the exciting future that awaits the brand. I spoke.

Four years from now, Audi is tackling the big challenge around the clock, after Carlos Sainz Sr. launched last year the ambitious goal of reaching the Dakar with an electric car, aiming to win it in 2023. is. Same ending in F1. Audi wants to be as successful in Formula 1 as it was in Le Mans, DTM, Dakar, Rally and Formula E.Baker said he was clear about the difficulty of getting into F1, the failures of other brands that had tried before, and that winning had to be a long-term goal, but the goal was ‘three years. “So it’s very clear that 2026 is the ideal starting point, taking advantage of the fact that it’s 2029 and there are regulation changes for everyone. is.

A possible connection to Sauber has not yet been announced, but Audi’s project manager did not want to give details. “In principle, as a project concept, we have considered all alternatives. However, when asked by the MD, he made it clear that they had very clear ideas.

He also admitted to the newspaper that it would be interesting to get some help from a veteran F1 driver. Car development and his work is a simulator.He was asked for a suitable name such as Carlos Sainz or Fernando AlonsoAdam spoke of how great they both were and made no secret that he would love to have one of these two riders together, but with three-and-a-half years still to go, it’s hard to talk about a specific name. could not. .

Goals and challenges in F1, and how long it will take

“We understand the scale of the challenge and we are very mindful of that, but we are very excited. We want to show that we can achieve success. The members of F1 know a lot about F1 and are familiar with the challenges involved.For other houses it is different.There is a lot of time to prepare.It is 42 months to the first race, We have half that time left, and then the 2026 regulations…we are at the beginning of this cycle of regulations, and the magnitude of the change is tremendous.This change will continue until 2026. 2026 is a very attractive year as an entry point.”

“We want to be competitive from the start, but we have to be realistic. We want to be in a position to win races in three years. There are regulations, laws changing, and everyone is working within these financial limits (budget caps are getting smaller and smaller). It’s a very different situation than in the past where some teams have been able to dominate. Three years is a realistic path in this situation. ”

exhaustion

“Of course, we will be subject to restrictions from 2023. However, our proposed strategy for 2022 is to invest in infrastructure and team equipment to reach 2023 and cover operational costs only.

“I’m going to invest in the team, the team, the whole thing to win in Formula 1. To win in F1 you have to be more innovative than your competitors, but with fixed costs now, things have to be optimized.

pilot

“There is a lot of interest in what Audi thinks. But this is important, it could be tied to a talent show or a young driver show, but we’ll talk about that later.”

“Now pilots can do more work in the simulator and on the test bench. Having a veteran driver is very interesting and of course we are looking at it.”

Carlos Sainz

“It would be great. But there are still many years left. Of course, that would be great.”

Fernando Alonso

“And Alonzo? Great team! Of course I’m interested, but it’s very difficult to think about three years from now. You can dream, it’s just speculation, but seriously about what you can do. I cannot speak.”

Possible Customer Athletic Team

“We are ready and committed, but we are not looking for a specific client at this time. Regulations may force us to hand over the engine to another team.”

time and budget required

“The budget cap is very important. It is part of the decision. Reducing is very important and this makes us think of a positive marketing case for the sustainable cycle from a financial point of view.”

First model already presented in Audi colors

“We knew we had an important announcement to make, so we needed a tangible, tangible icon. And we thought that if we wanted to show ourselves, we should show what was going to happen.We prepared this car in secret.It’s a vision of the car.Here sponsorships are taken into consideration. No. This is a canvas car, a blank page.”

car development and manufacturing

“We are now starting in Neuburg near Ingolstadt. The development of the electric motor, chassis and car is very important, so we will start now. We’ll work on the parts and then on the seamless integration, testing will start in mid-2025, possibly in Spain, and then in 2026.

Engine, when will it be ready? Some teams have already tried it

“I will make an engine by the end of the year.”

The Importance of Sustainability with New Engines

“The goal is a fascinating and ambitious one: to achieve a sustainable and innovative Aum. We are looking for high-capacity engines, research and development, and future sustainable We have to develop based on what we are doing.”

“Audi wants to be part of this transformation. Future plans must focus on environmental considerations and Formula 1 is a great communication and marketing tool. It is the ideal place to introduce our audience and the most important markets for Audi.”

member of the project

“We were able to get started very quickly with a very talented group of technicians, so there was no need to recruit or hire anyone. We are about 130 people. We are building a team very quickly and the final number is… good question but you have to consider internal and external costs and how much money is in the association… yes over 300 Become.”

Car and project creation schedule

“We have 42 months left, which is very good schedule-wise. We started in March and are very happy with the development.