F1 News: Audi's 2026 Preparations Met With Internal Friction As Other Projects Come To Abrupt Stop

Friction is rising with Audi as they put everything into their 2026 F1 preparations.

Audi has been making waves with its recent announcement that it will be joining Formula 1 in collaboration with Sauber starting in 2026. Over the past twelve months, Audi has been revealing encouraging updates about the development of its new F1 team. However, this decision hasn't been met with universal praise, especially from within the sports division of the company. The crux of the controversy lies in Audi's decision to halt other racing programs, causing internal friction and critique.

Allegedly, in preparation for the F1 venture, Audi has had to abandon other projects, which has caused dissent from within its own ranks. A major contentious issue arose when Markus Duesmann, Managing Director of Audi, made the decision to discontinue the Audi Sport Customer Racing program, putting an end to the production of the Audi R8 LMS GT3. 

A prime voice of critique is Audi's motorsport chief, Ernst Moser, who openly expressed his disagreement with Duesmann's decision in an interview with Motorsport.com. Moser, himself set to depart from the team later this year, pointed out that the company's full focus on Formula 1 has been disheartening for the staff who have devoted their energy to other Audi sports projects over the years.

Moser stated:

"It's his [Duesmann's] personal opinion. [I don't know] why he does not want to invest anymore in everything else."

Further to this, Audi has ceased its partnership with WRT, which has now joined hands with BMW instead of Audi. This shift has also raised eyebrows, including those of WRT team boss, Vincent Vosse.

According to Vosse, Duesmann's plan to exit DTM was evident from the time he joined Audi, an action that came to fruition in 2020. Vosse expressed a skeptical viewpoint, saying: 

"If they win in Formula 1 then people will quickly forget about it, but I still have my doubts."