Aty wrote: ↑1 week ago
D/T 2024-05-10 16:56 (CEST)
Audi is not interested in being in F1 simply to make up the numbers.
Audi intends to enter Formula 1 and be "at the very front" of the grid, the Volkswagen-owned German carmaker's CEO Gernot Dollner insists.
https://www.grandprix.com/news/ceo-says ... front.html
So, Max will have competition?
Fighting talk from Herr Dollner!. Or ideallistic shareholder targeted fluff and PR speak.
I recall others within Audi have been more realistic. A target of 3 years to be
near the top was the target of other senior members in Audi. Thats 2028/9 to be somewhere near Victory Lane.
Look at Red Bull.... a very similar situation when they came into F1 as a team in their own name. They took over another team, Jaguar, formerly Stewart. A winning team historically but one that has lost their way as Jaguar.
A bit like Sauber, except Sauber won only as BMW. They scored one podium in year 1, (aided by 10 retirements that day). 2 podiums in year 2. Only year 3 did they achieve some success. They won i race in year 3, their 42 race. ( And that was thanks to Lewis Hamilton running into Raikkonen in pitlane.) BMW had. several years experience in F1 already with their engine partnerships but it took them 3 years to hit the front.
Red Bull similarly. even with the genius of Newey behind them. RB took over Jaguar for 2005. Neweys first car was the RB3 in 2007. They won their first race, their 74th as Red Bull, in 2009. four years until then 7th in the Constructors then 5th and 2nd the year of their first race win. In their 6th year they won the championship.
Even with Newey and big money it was a long haul for Red Bull..
Look at Mercedes. They inherited a championship winning team that used Mercedes own engine, and the key staff (ie Brawn etc) They didnt win a race until their 3rd year, their 53rd race. It was another 20 races until they won a 2nd.
I suspect Audi face the same long haul journey journey. Bear in mind those other teams above all had similar mega budgets to what Audi will have. In fact their budgets were less limited that Audi will have due to those all suffered no budget cap restrictions that Audi will face.
As mentioned I think that Dollner speaks with a forked tongue. Or at least a shareholder pacifying PR focussed tongue.
I wonder if Seidl feels they will be winning in year 1? I doubt it.
Its not like they can have their 2026 car in progress yet, other than the engine. No team can.
The regulations for the chassis are not formulated or confirmed yet. No team is allowed to put pencil to paper on their 2026 cars until Jan 1st 2025. Of course I am sure the regs will be finalised prior to that date and the Technical /design guys will be at least getting ideas in their head by then, but no formal design or development chassis work, wind tunnel or CFD work can start until Jan 2025.
