Audi’s ultimate GT3 automobile supply marks the tip of an period, however will the F1 push be value it?

As Audi looks forward to its ambitious Formula 1 project with Sauber in 2026, it is also leaving behind its history in other motorsport disciplines. The German manufacturer has shut down each of its racing programs to focus on F1, even though its fan base does not associate the brand with single-seaters or formula racing.

A photo of Audi customer racing boss Chris Reinke handing over delivery of the last R8 LMS GT3 to Austrian businessman and amateur driver Michael Doppelmayr perfectly reflects Audi’s pedigree in motor racing. While the bare carbon fiber R8 LMS is proudly placed center stage, the photo also shows a large number of Audi’s Le Mans prototypes and Group B rally cars in the company’s mobile museum, Audi Traditions.

One would have to look very hard to see the Silver Arrows with which the brand known as Auto Union competed in Grand Prix racing in the 1930s. If there’s an image that represents what Audi Sport stands for, this is it.

That’s why the decision to gradually wind down the GT3 program is particularly sad for both Audi and the wider motorsport world. The R8 is one of the most famous cars in the GT3 field and easily one of the most successful, having won all the major endurance events including the Bathurst 12 Hours, Nurburgring 24 Hours and Spa 24 Hours. In total, Audi produced 310 examples of the car across several generations, winning 125 drivers’ titles and 197 other championships since 2009.

Audi has promised to provide technical support and spare parts for the R8 LMS GT3 until 2032, but it’s unlikely the car will appear until early next decade. audi It no longer provides factory support to its customer support teamsWhile its pool of factory drivers was also disbanded at the end of 2023. The four drivers who remain on its roster in 2024 are also set to leave as their contracts expire this year, meaning any R8 team will have to source the drivers on their own and pay their salaries.

Then there’s also the small matter of the car becoming old in the face of new models and Evo versions introduced by rivals. Gradually all existing organizations will have no option but to turn to new cars from other manufacturers. Even Abt Sportsline, a team whose relationship with Audi goes back 25 years Forced to abandon it and switch to Lamborghini for its two-car DTM attack in 2025The R8 LMS GT3’s days on the track are numbered, at least in professional motorsport.

“It is the end of an era, but it was a personal privilege for me to be able to play a very prominent role in this for Audi,” Audi’s Reinke told Donaucourier. “I had this privilege once before, as the overall project manager on the LMP project, and when that ended, you also felt a sense of emptiness because you had identified so strongly with it.”

It is reported {that a} total of 101 people work in Audi’s customer racing division. It’s unclear what will happen to them now that Audi has ceased production of the R8 LMS GT3, but Reinke hopes they will be able to continue working on motorsport-related projects away from competition.

It’s easy to see why Audi was attracted to the allure of F1, which is now in better shape than ever. But it’s the high opportunity cost that makes people question whether it’s worth taking the gamble.

Audi’s decision to put all its eggs in one basket would have made sense even if its F1 project had been running smoothly. But if we talk about the last six months, things have been nothing

Over the past five years, Audi pulled out of the Class One-based DTM, pulled out of Formula E, ended a stagnant LMDH project, disbanded the Dakar Rally team after just three years and ended its long-running Production of the GT3 car was discontinued. , Of course, some of these decisions were announced long before its ambitions to enter F1, but even in that time it has left a lot of championships unturned.

Customer racing – including GT4 and TCR racing – was an area where Audi could continue with limited investment, given that it generates revenue by directly selling cars and spare parts to independent teams. Of course, at some point Audi will have to introduce a successor to the R8 LMS – and it will have to find a base model in its road car range – but that’s a hurdle that could have been overcome with relatively limited investment. After all, it didn’t need to build its next GT3 car around a cool racer like the R8 and could have opted for a sedan as a base model, similar to rival manufacturer BMW’s M4 GT3.

Audi’s decision to put all its eggs in one basket would have made sense even if its F1 project was on track. However, if we talk about the last six months, things have been almost normal.

Audi went from wanting to hold no more than a 75% stake in Sauber to taking complete ownership of the company, only to Sell ​​’significant minority’ stake to Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund Audi should be commended for turning the wick on after realizing that progress on the chassis side of the operation was slower than it expected. But it is equally a worrying sign that it needs to raise fresh investment from outside sources, with just over a year to go before its new car/engine hits the track for the first time.

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) buys F1 team amid financial concerns of Audi’s parent brand VW

Photo by: Audi

Perhaps more worrying is the management turmoil at Audi. Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hofmann were dropped in the summer in favor of former Ferrari F1 team principal Mattia Binotto and current Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley. Both of them have a big task at hand to steady the ship and ensure that Audi is in the best possible shape for 2026.

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But it will certainly not be an easy task and the team will be unable to attract a star driver carlos saenz Choosing Williams over partnership Nico Hulkenberg – Shows the grid is not confident it will be able to operate when new rules come into force in a little more than 12 months.

Perhaps Audi could be encouraged by the way it transformed its Dakar program to win the prestigious Rally Raid at its third attempt in 2024. The Ingolstadt-based brand made a respectable start to 2022 with the RS Q e-tron, but lagged behind in it. In its second year of service, reliability deficiencies prevented it from competing with the powerful Toyota Hilux. This prompted its rally arm to go back to the drawing board and fix the car’s inherent weaknesses, efforts that ultimately allowed it to win the big prize with Carlos Sainz Sr. in January this year.

However, while Audi’s hybrid Dakar challenger was nothing short of a technological marvel, its powertrain was derived from the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine it pioneered in the DTM and paired with an electric motor developed in Formula E. While the knowledge it had gained from DTM, Formula E and Dakar would be extremely valuable, it would have to build an F1 power unit from a clean sheet of paper, which would be the biggest challenge in its sporting history. Even the diesel-powered R18 won’t match the complexity of the hybrid engine that will power its first F1 car.

Until a month ago, Audi was the only new manufacturer team entering F1 in 2026, and so was made the focal point. but with this CADILLAC ENTRIES NOW ACCEPTINGThis means that the two automotive giants will have a divided vision, which will reduce the return on investment.

One can hope that Audi, with all its might, will eventually be able to become a proven force in F1. However, it would be foolish to assume that it will fall directly to the ground. Even if Binotto and Wheatley are given the freedom to run Audi’s Grand Prix operation as a lucrative F1 team, without excessive control of the board, it will take several years for them to be able to regularly challenge for wins and championships. Will take.

Having an existing racing program, like the GT3s, will help Audi focus as it continues to dominate F1. Unfortunately, after deciding to end its involvement elsewhere, Audi will have nowhere to hide when it moves into the big game in 2026.

Audi’s success in customer racing would be a handy distraction if its F1 program fails, but that luxury won’t be available in 2026

Photo by: Alexander Triinitz