Source: USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez
[Saba Sports News] According to Australian racing magazine “Auto Action,” there are conflicts within the senior management of the Audi F1 project. Differences of opinion have emerged between Oliver Hoffmann, the chief representative of Audi’s F1 project and chairman of the board of directors of Sauber Group, and Andreas Seidl, the CEO of Sauber Group, resulting in mutual alienation. Sources from Germany reveal that Hofmann has demanded Seidl’s immediate termination, while Seidl has put pressure on the board of directors to dismiss Hofmann. The “Auto Action” article also indicates that Spanish F1 driver Carlos Sainz and his team are not particularly interested in joining the Audi F1 project due to the instability in top management. Additionally, there are signs that some technical staff working on Audi’s F1 program are actively seeking other job opportunities, as they are dissatisfied with the lack of progress made on the project over the past 18 months. In 2022, the supervisory boards of Audi Auto AG and Volkswagen Group decided to increase their investment in participating in the World Formula One Championship and expedite preparations for the 2026 season. In April of this year, Audi planned to acquire 100% ownership of the Sauber Group and appointed Andreas Seidl as the CEO of the Audi F1 team, responsible for implementing the F1 project and managing the Audi F1 team.