New CEO Audi debunks rumours: 'The plan is already in place'

Former Volkswagen Group manager and strategist Gernot Dollner have been the new CEO at Audi since September after former CEO Markus Duesmann was ousted by the board. Duesmann was at the helm of the decision to enter Formula 1 via a takeover of Sauber and developing their own power unit.

Long silence

After the new CEO joined, things remained quiet for a long period. This lack of communication created speculation about Audi's entry into Formula 1. For instance, it was said that engine development was months behind the competition and that Audi was going to pull out altogether. These rumours seemed to come from within the Audi and Volkswagen groups.

Now it appears Audi wanted to avoid overlap in communication with departing Sauber sponsor Alfa Romeo. This seems to be the reason for the silence.

'The plan is already in place'

In an interview with German Handelsblatt, Dollner confirms the following: "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. The plan is in place." So with this, he debunks all rumours at once.

Sauber team boss Alessandro Alunni Bravi has denied all along that Audi's interest in Formula 1 was faltering. "Why there is a lack of communication is simple. We are Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake. So, until the end of the year, we have certain limitations in communicating about the team, about the future, about the involvement of Audi, and we fully respect Alfa Romeo for this. We don't want to make any kind of announcement or more than what is strictly related to the race and the championship. The commitment, as I said, is there."