©AudiSport
Audi has set itself the ambitious goal of racing at the front of the field in Formula 1 within three years of its arrival on the grid with partner Sauber Motorsport.
The German manufacturer recently acquired a 25 percent stake in Sauber which operates the Alfa Romeo F1 team, an interest that is set to increase to 75 percent by 2026 when it begins its endeavor in F1.
Until then, Sauber will continue to race independently, but the two partners' integration, overseen at Hinwil by former McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl, is already underway.
Audi's debut in F1 will coincide with the introduction in 2026 of F1's engine regulations. That leaves less than three years for the German manufacturer's engineers to design and develop a top-flight F1 power unit.
"We definitely won’t be bored between now and then," explained Audi's F1 project manager Adam Baker, speaking to Bild.
"Developing a Formula 1 hybrid drive is one of the greatest challenges an engineer can face.
"That’s why it was all the more important that we were able to start the process immediately when the engine regulations were approved last summer."
©Audi
Audi will develop its engine at a new 3,000 square meter building - called F7.2 - that is under construction at Neuburg and which will house 240 employees entirely dedicated to F1.
Designing and developing a competitive F1 engine with three years is a tall order, and Baker is by no means underestimating the task.
Audi's project leader also made clear that reliability will take precedence over performance at the outset.
"We announced our entry earlier than any other manufacturer in recent decades," Baker said. "We’re on time.
"But we know and respect the magnitude of the challenge ahead. We will do a good job for 2026. I have no doubts about that.
"Nevertheless, in the first season it will be about having the highest possible level of reliability. Then we want to keep improving.
"Our goal is to be up front in the third year," he added.
"For that, we need a top engine. We want to show what ‘Made in Germany’ stands for: a reliable engine at the highest level.
"We are super proud that there is again a German location for participation in Formula 1."
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