Audi addresses rumours regarding F1 commitment

New Audi CEO Gernot Dollner has asserted that the German manufacturer is committed to joining the Formula 1 grid in 2026.

Rumours in recent months have suggested that Audi was questioning its decision to form a team in just over two years.

Audi is set to take a majority share in the Sauber Group when new technical regulations come into play.

Dollner took over at the helm of Audi after former CEO Markus Duesmann was ousted from his position by the board.

Duesmann was the driving force behind Audi's decision to bring the brand to F1 for the first time but since the announcement, it has remained relatively quiet regarding its upcoming entry.

Sauber's Alessandro Alunni Bravi clarified that Audi was remaining hushed due to Alfa Romeo's association with Sauber - a partnership that concluded at the end of 2023.

Audi is also constructing its own Power Unit as it invests heavily in the F1 project.

Amid the rumours that it may pull the plug on the plan to join F1, Dollner told Handelsblatt that it remains committed to forming a team.

“There is a clear decision from the board of management and the supervisory boards of Audi and Volkswagen that Audi will enter Formula 1 in 2026,” he said. The plan is in place.”

Dollner hinted at slow decision-making in the company when it operated under the previous structure.

“We used to have a very complex landscape of committees,” he said.

“That is why we have now abolished an entire level of committees below the executive board… in short: we are now faster and all-important decisions are once again made by the entire executive board team.”