Audi has faced heavy backlash over the way its motorsport division has been managed over the last few years. The decision to phase out all its sportscar racing programmes and go all-in on Formula 1 has aggrieved even the most loyal fans of the German marque. Even former teams and drivers haven’t shied away from levying criticism at some board-level changes that they feel have damaged the very brand and sporting image of Audi.
Since Audi has enjoyed immense success in sportscar and touring car racing, critics argue that pulling out of the DTM, LMDh (just weeks before the car was supposed to begin testing) and factory GT3 competition goes against the very history on which the Audi Sport brand has been built on.
Formula 1 may be in rude health and witnessing unprecedented popularity, but Audi has never really been associated with single-seater racing. After all, beyond a brief period in the 1930s in its Auto Union guise, Audi has never competed in grand prix racing. So the decision to put all its weight behind its upcoming project has been puzzling for a number of onlookers.
Another argument that the naysayers have is that Audi is forgoing the prospects of outright victories in legendary races such as Le Mans 24 Hours and Daytona 24 Hours only to trundle in the midfield of a 20-car F1 grid. F1 has always been a hard nut to crack for big car makers; with the exception of Mercedes and Renault, no mainstream manufacturer has lifted the constructors’ title since the world championship was established in 1950. The likes of Toyota, Honda, BMW and Jaguar have all tried their luck building in the pinnacle of motorsport, only to realise that their corporate structures didn’t allow them to outgun professional and slick race teams.
Even those who have witnessed Audi score 13 victories at the Circuit de la Sarthe are sceptical about how it can enter F1 as a new manufacturer in 2026 and upend the status quo. Success in F1 just doesn’t come easy.
However, while it is only natural to question if a big corporation like Audi can adapt to the fast-paced world of grand prix racing, one only needs to look at the way it has turned around its Dakar Rally programme as proof that it can end the triopoly of Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari.
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Audi’s Dakar programme is effectively being pulled, along with its sportscar efforts, to focus on its F1 2026 entry
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