Cadillac’s deliberate entry into Formulation 1 provides additional worth to Audi’s personal mission that begins in full in 2026, based on its CEO Gernot Döllner.
Audi is taking up the Sauber workforce at present competing as Stake to have its personal works set-up from the beginning of the brand new rules in 12 months time. There may be set to be one other new workforce becoming a member of on the similar stage with Normal Motors changing into the eleventh constructor on the grid – topic to receiving its official entry from the FIA – and Döllner says it’s an arrival that reinforces Audi’s personal place.
“Yeah, a brand new OEM is coming to affix Formulation 1,” Döllner mentioned. “It reveals the strengths of Formulation 1 and that platform, and it’s a robust sign to have one other OEM within the lineup. And I believe competitors is what we’d like, and it’s simply including worth to our mission.”
Audi introduced further assets for its F1 mission though an investment from the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) in November, with the deal coming into impact this month, and Döllner says there have been a variety of events desirous to be concerned.
“We have been approached by plenty of buyers, so we didn’t actually have to begin a search. However one 12 months in the past, Qatar … they visited our Hinwil facility, [and] the powertrain unit, and from what they’ve seen there – professionalism, the strategic imaginative and prescient, the setup – they have been satisfied. From there on, now we have been in constructive discussions and constructed that partnership.”
Döllner additionally believes the extra funding dropped at the desk by QIA reinforces Audi’s dedication to its F1 mission, and just like the Cadillac mission – that features funding from billionaire Mark Walter – reveals it has the useful resource to ultimately problem on the entrance.
“Bringing on this sturdy accomplice is a mannequin plenty of different groups have. And it’s, from our perspective, a mandatory step to change into one of many prime groups sooner or later.
“At Audi, the mission is seen positively anyhow, and I believe it simply strengthens the message that we’re actually right into a long-term funding in Formulation 1. And it’s a capital injection to the mission, so it doesn’t cut back Audi’s dedication, it provides cash to the mission. So, it’s a robust sign.”
