AUDI AG and Volkswagen AG Supervisory Board Members decided to accelerate preparations for the 1 season in their plans for Formula 2026. In line with this planning, Audi plans to acquire 100 percent of the shares of the Sauber Group.

He made a statement about the issues the company will focus on in the future under the leadership of Audi CEO Gernot Döllner. Oliver Hoffmann will be responsible for the Audi Formula 1 program as General Representative. As CEO of the Audi F1 Team, Andreas Seidl will be responsible for the implementation of the F1 project and the management of the Audi F1 Team.

Focusing on positioning itself even more strongly in the global arena in addition to its products and technologies, Audi is accelerating its preparations for Formula 1.

Oliver Hoffmann, currently Head of Technical Development, has been appointed General Representative by the Board of Management and will be responsible for AUDI AG's Formula 1 activities and the brand's entry into this highest level of motorsport.

This newly created role aims to manage three pillars of Audi's Formula 1 programme:

Audi plans to take over 100 percent of the famous Swiss racing team Sauber Holding AG. An agreement was reached on this matter with the current majority shareholder, Islero Investments AG. Oliver Hoffmann chairs the shareholders' committee of Audi Formula Racing GmbH. zamHe will now also become Chairman of the Board of Directors of all Sauber companies.

The other two pillars of the scope of work are the development of the power unit by Audi Formula Racing GmbH at the Neuburg facility and the strategic management and activation of the program by AUDI AG. Thus, ensuring the successful launch of the Formula 1 program zamThe aim is to make the Audi brand even stronger in the global arena and to increase close cooperation between motorsport and mass production.

Technical Development handed over to Döllner

Accordingly, Oliver Hoffmann is leaving his position as Member of the Board of Directors of AUDI AG. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner will assume responsibility for the Technical Development Department in addition to his current responsibilities. The transformation of the Technical Development Department will continue and will focus on more efficient structures and clear areas of responsibility to prioritize products and technologies as defined by Audi, while shortening development times.

Seidl became Audi F1 Team CEO

Another important appointment at Audi, within the framework of preparations to participate in the FIA Formula 2026 World Championship in 1, was the appointment of Andreas Seidl as CEO of the Audi F1 Team. Apart from the Audi F1 project, Seidl will also be responsible for managing the Audi F1 Team. Seidl, who was involved in the management of important teams competing in Formula 1 and 24 Hours of Le Mans in his motorsports career, was serving as the CEO of the Sauber Group in 2023.

Hoffmann is the most correct name

Hoffmann's extensive experience in motorsport puts him right. zamHe instantly turned me into the right person. As Board Member for Technical Development and President of Audi Sport, he managed to achieve significant motorsport successes for the Audi brand. In addition to races such as GT2, GT3 and GT4, the Audi Motorsports team achieved international victories in the DTM and the all-electric Formula E World Championship, and won the general classification in 2023 in the Dakar Rally, which is considered one of the most challenging races in the world.

Providing information on the subject, Oliver Hoffmann said: “I would like to thank the Technical Development team for their excellent performance in recent years, and I am proud of the superior products that have emerged as a result of our hard work and which we will put on the roads in the coming months. Motorsports, especially Formula 1, is my biggest passion. I believe that we will further accelerate our preparations for the launch in 100 by bringing together areas of responsibility and taking over 2026 percent of the Sauber Group. I am happy to welcome Andreas Seidl as Audi F1 Team CEO. He is exactly the right person for our ambitious plan. “He will make significant contributions to Audi's Formula 1 project with his experience in leadership positions both on the manufacturer and Formula 1 team side.”