Audi’s final GT3 automobile supply marks the tip of an period, however will F1 push be value it?

As Audi appears to be like forward to its formidable Formulation 1 mission in 2026 with Sauber, it’s concurrently forsaking its historical past in different disciplines of motorsport. The German producer has pulled the plug on each single one in every of its racing programmes with a purpose to redirect its give attention to F1, regardless that its swathe of followers don’t affiliate the model with single-seater or system racing.

An image displaying Audi’s buyer racing boss Chris Reinke handing over the supply of the last-ever R8 LMS GT3 to Austrian businessman and novice driver Michael Doppelmayr completely encapsulates Audi’s pedigree in motor racing. Whereas the naked carbon fibre R8 LMS is proudly positioned within the centre, the {photograph} additionally exhibits a lot of Audi’s Le Mans Prototypes and Group B rally automobiles at Audi Custom, the corporate’s cell museum.

One must look very onerous to identify a Silver Arrow with which the model then referred to as Auto Union competed in grand prix racing within the Thirties. If there’s any picture that exhibits what Audi Sport stands for, it’s this one.

It’s why the choice to regularly curtail the GT3 programme is especially unhappy for each Audi and the broader motorsport world. The R8 is likely one of the most well-known automobiles within the GT3 enviornment and simply one of the profitable, with victories in all main endurance occasions together with Bathurst 12 Hour, Nurburgring 24 Hours and Spa 24 Hours. In all, Audi produced 310 examples of the automobile throughout a number of generations, successful 125 drivers’ titles and 197 different championships since 2009.

Audi has promised to supply technical assist and spare elements for the R8 LMS GT3 till 2032, but it surely’s unlikely the automobile can be seen in motion initially of subsequent decade. Audi no longer provides factory backing to its customer support teams, whereas its pool of manufacturing facility drivers was additionally disbanded on the finish of 2023. The 4 drivers that remained on its roster in 2024 are additionally set to depart as their contracts expire this yr, which means any workforce with an R8 must supply drivers on their very own and pay their salaries.

Then there’s the small matter of the automobile turning into outdated within the face of newer fashions and Evo variations launched by rivals. Slowly all current outfits can be left with no possibility however to maneuver to newer automobiles from different producers. Even Abt Sportsline, a workforce whose relationship with Audi stretches again 25 years, has been forced to call it quits and switch to Lamborghini for its two-car DTM attack in 2025. The times of the R8 LMS GT3 on the monitor are numbered, no less than in skilled motorsport.

Audi took its seventh win within the Nurburgring 24 Hours this yr, however extra success is more durable to foresee

Picture by: Gruppe C GmbH

“It’s the finish of an period, but it surely was a private privilege for me to have the ability to play a really distinguished function on this for Audi,” Audi’s Reinke informed Donaukurier. “I had this privilege as soon as earlier than as total mission supervisor within the LMP mission, and when that ended, you additionally had a sense of vacancy since you had recognized very strongly with it.”

It’s reported {that a} whole of 101 folks work at Audi’s buyer racing division. It’s unclear what is going to occur to them now that Audi has ceased manufacturing of the R8 LMS GT3, however Reinke hopes they may be capable to proceed engaged on motorsport-related initiatives away from competitors.

It’s straightforward to see why Audi was lured by the pull of F1, which is now in a greater form than ever earlier than. However it’s the excessive alternative price that makes folks query whether or not it’s definitely worth the gamble.

Audi’s resolution to place all its eggs in a single basket would nonetheless have been comprehensible if its F1 mission was operating easily. But when the final six months are something to go by, issues have been something however

Within the final 5 years, Audi exited Class One-based DTM, pulled out of Formulation E, put an finish to a stillborn LMDh mission, killed off a Dakar Rally workforce after simply three years and ceased the manufacturing of its long-running GT3 automobile. In fact, a few of these selections had been introduced lengthy earlier than it laid out its ambition of getting into F1, but it surely has nonetheless left far too many championships in such a span of time.

Buyer racing – which additionally contains GT4 and TCR racing – was one space the place Audi may have continued with restricted funding, given the income it generates straight by promoting automobiles and spare elements to impartial groups. In fact, in some unspecified time in the future Audi would have needed to introduce a successor to the R8 LMS – and discover a base mannequin in its street automobile vary for a similar – but it surely’s a hurdle it may have overcome with comparatively restricted funding. In any case, it didn’t have to essentially construct its subsequent GT3 automobile round a thoroughbred racer just like the R8 and will have opted for a sedan as a base mannequin, just like rival producer BMW’s M4 GT3.

Audi’s resolution to place all its eggs in a single basket would nonetheless have been comprehensible if its F1 mission was operating on monitor. Nonetheless, if the final six months are something to go by, issues have been something however easy.

Audi went from desirous to personal not more than 75% of Sauber to taking on all the possession of the corporate, solely to then sell a ‘significant minority’ stake to Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund. One ought to laud Audi for turning up the wick, after realising that progress on the chassis aspect of the operation was slower than it had anticipated. However it’s equally a worrying signal that it wanted to lift contemporary funding from an exterior supply with simply over a yr left earlier than its new automobile/engine hits the monitor for the primary time.

Qatar Funding Authority (QIA) has purchased into the F1 workforce amid monetary worries at Audi guardian model VW

Picture by: Audi

Maybe of extra concern is the administration upheaval at Audi. Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann had been axed in the summertime in favour of former Ferrari F1 workforce principal Mattia Binotto and present Purple Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley. The 2 have an enormous job of their arms to regular the ship and ensure Audi is in the absolute best form for 2026.

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However it definitely received’t be a simple job and the workforce’s incapacity to draw a star driver – with Carlos Sainz selecting Williams over partnering Nico Hulkenberg – exhibits the grid doesn’t consider it is going to be in a position to hit the bottom operating when the brand new laws kick in in a bit over 12 months.

Audi may in all probability take encouragement from the way in which it rotated its Dakar programme to win the distinguished rally raid on its third try in 2024. The Ingolstadt-based marque made a good debut in 2022 with the RS Q e-tron however went backwards in its second yr of service, as reliability niggles left it and not using a shot in opposition to the mighty Toyota Hiliux. That prompted its rally arm to return to the drafting board and repair the automobile’s inherent weaknesses, these efforts permitting it to lastly win the massive prize in January this yr with Carlos Sainz Sr.

Nonetheless, whereas Audi’s hybrid Dakar challenger was nothing in need of a technological marvel, its powertrain was derived from the two.0-litre turbocharged engine it pioneered within the DTM and paired with the electrical motor it developed in Formulation E. Whereas the information it gained within the DTM, Formulation E and Dakar can be immensely helpful, it has to construct an F1 energy unit from a clear sheet of paper, which might be the largest problem in its sporting historical past. Even the diesel-powered R18 wouldn’t match the complexity of the hybrid engine that can energy its first-ever F1 automobile.

Till a month in the past, Audi was set to be the one new producer workforce to enter F1 in 2026, and therefore was set to be a focus. However with Cadillac’s entry now being accepted, it means the eyeballs can be break up between the 2 giants of the automotive world, slashing its return on funding.

One can hope that Audi, with all its would possibly, would ultimately be capable to grow to be a confirmed drive in F1. Nonetheless, it could be silly to imagine that it could hit the bottom operating immediately. Even when Binotto and Wheatley are given the liberty to run Audi’s grand prix operation as a glossy F1 workforce, with out extreme management from the board, it could take a number of years earlier than it is going to be in a position to frequently problem for victories and championships.

Having an current racing programme, like in GT3s, would have helped Audi shift the main focus away whereas it lower its enamel in F1. Sadly, having determined to scrap its involvement elsewhere, Audi would have nowhere to cover when it steps as much as the massive recreation in 2026.

Success for Audi in buyer racing can be a useful distraction if its F1 programme falls flat, however that luxurious will not be obtainable in 2026

Picture by: Alexander Trienitz