Audi boss Gernot Dollner insists the producer’s dedication to Method 1 shouldn’t be threatened by the monetary dramas confronted by guardian firm the Volkswagen Group.
Amid main losses for VW, the organisation plans to close at the least three factories in Germany, lay off tens of 1000’s of employees and shrink its remaining crops in its dwelling nation to chop down on expenditure.
These unprecedented measures have prompted recommendations that they may set off a wider influence for Audi in it not having the ability to justify the massive expenditure required to achieve success in F1.
However talking on the Qatar Grand Prix, as Audi introduced that it had reached an settlement to promote a minority stake within the workforce to the Qatar Funding Authority (QIA) – Dollner made clear that there was no query of the German producer persevering with to spend what was wanted to achieve success in F1.
“We’ve got a marketing strategy, and it is a enterprise for us,” he mentioned when requested by Motorsport.com concerning the influence of the VW state of affairs. “This F1 challenge is an integral a part of the transformation story of Audi.
“You possibly can’t construct a future by solely saving cash. You must make investments. And we’ve got to remodel the corporate, the Audi firm. We consider that the F1 challenge is an integral a part of that transition of Audi.”
Audi CEO Gernot Dollner and Mattia Binotto, CEO and CTO, Stake F1 Group KICK Sauber
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photographs
With the capital injection of the QIA deal set to go on to boosting funding at Audi’s Sauber workforce, there have been recommendations that the transfer was triggered by the necessity to discover further funds due to the VW points.
However Dollner defined that the plans to tie up with a serious long-term investor had been set in movement multiple yr in the past and are completely unrelated to the most recent dramas.
“By no means,” he mentioned when requested about if there have been hyperlinks between the QIA deal and wider monetary questions for the corporate.
“Once I stepped in as CEO of Audi, we had a overview of the challenge, and the query was the best way to proceed. And that was one yr in the past.
“A part of the choice to go actually all in and proceed this program was that we’ve got to assume larger, and to assume larger within the context of a fancy transition section the entire trade is in.
“So we determined to absorb companions as different groups do, to have the ability to actually construct a robust workforce. So it isn’t associated.
The brand new Audi Sport F1 idea automobile
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Photographs
“We began the conferences precisely one yr in the past. On the twenty ninth of November, QIA, for the primary time, visited our amenities in Neuburg, and had been in a position to see the fervour and the professionalism the workforce has.”
Dollner mentioned that Audi had not but determined if Qatar’s involvement would lead to any of its corporations taking any naming rights with the workforce from 2026.
“We’re proper now having a broad view on that. No selections taken up to now,” he mentioned, earlier than insisting that Audi would retain at the least some title management.
“Will probably be positively Audi as title sponsor of the workforce. And nevertheless the constellation is, the long run will present.”
Whereas the extent of funding that QIA has made has not been revealed, it has been broadly reported that it’ll take a stake that’s round 30% – which in all probability means a deal within the area of $350 million.
With that cash set to go on to Sauber, COO Mattia Binotto mentioned it could be put to good use in serving to fast-track its push to the entrance.
“I believe on the finish, it’s no matter is required to deliver the workforce to change into a profitable workforce,” he mentioned.
“And for those who look the hole to the highest groups and the profitable groups at this time, actually there’s a lot which is required.”
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