Audi Open for F1 Recruitment as First Opportunity Opens for Promised Entry

It appears that the new Formula 1 entry in 2026 will put all 10 teams in a meaningful fight in the next few years. Yes, Audi has already made it obvious that the team aims to be successful within three years of its arrival, but they also have some additional goals which might promise a special addition to the team.

Volkswagen wanted its two sister companies to compete in Formula 1. While Porsche is still rumored to be in talks, Audi has a concrete strategy. The car will reportedly continue to be designed and built by Sauber (now Alfa Romeo), with the production of the engines falling under the purview of Audi. As the Ingolstadt-based group has great ambitions of winning as a constructor, the search for their reserve driver has already started. To run the simulator and to give precise feedback, Audi has realized the value of hiring someone with Formula 1 experience.

Audi CEO Adam Baker outlined the qualifications for this position. As reported by Soymotor, he said, “It may seem like our debut is far away, but we want to have a reserve driver by the end of 2023. And the driver being fast is a priority.”

Baker further stated how important it is to have experience on their side. He added, “It is very important to count on someone who has the experience to develop our new engine in the simulators we have in Neuberg.”

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Being a promising German driver, Mick Schumacher, who is currently a reserve driver for Mercedes, is heavily rumored to join the german manufacturer, Audi as their driver when the time comes. However, till 2026, can Mick help Audi with the research and development?

Audi delivers an update on their progress into Formula 1

After starting to build a brand-new 3,000-square-meter structure that will house the test benches for the power unit development, Audi has revealed more information on the expansion of its Neuburg plant to accommodate the F1 project. Its Competence Center Motorsport, which opened in 2014 and served as the location of Audi’s factory racing operations, is being expanded, and the structure, known as F7.2, is a component of that expansion.

The extension should be finished in the first quarter of 2024, while the first operations should start in March of that year. As reported by Motorsports.com, Audi’s board member for technical development, Oliver Hoffmann, remarked, “With the Competence Center Motorsport, we have an ideal base for our Formula 1 project.”

“Audi Neuburg was designed from the outset to be able to tackle the most demanding motorsport projects. This foresight is paying off. With the existing facilities, we were able to immediately begin with the Formula 1 project.”

He concluded, “The expansion will create the necessary infrastructure for the development of our F1 power unit for the long term.”

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Teams will begin to take title contention more seriously as time goes on since the Ingolstadt-based company will do everything in its power to establish itself in the elite division of Motorsports.