Is Audi F1 project another Toyota style manufacturer embarrassment?

[John S]

With massive changes of top management in F1 project can Audi salvage any credibility by 26 or 27 seasons?

Following on from Sauber's so far disastrous 24 campaign and the management in-fighting can the situation be turned around in time for 26 or even 27 season?

We're FIA/Liberty wrong in pursuing new manufacturers at almost any cost?
Only Audi has taken up the baton & their effort seems amateurish at present to say the least.

Pundits are questioning Audi's ability to step up to the plate and Sky Sports Craig Slater is the latest:-

Craig Slater speaking to the Sky Sports podcast claims to have a source inside the Audi project and they say it's not a pretty sight.

"I spoke to someone who has a good window on what the goings on are like currently at that team.

Things going badly wrong". "He’s not saying anything which isn’t obvious, but he described it to me as a mess and observed that this is a team that can’t even put a wheel on a car properly at the moment."

"So the turmoil at the top is reflective of things going badly wrong at the moment."


Slater’s source believes Audi have vastly underestimated the challenge of joining Formula One.

"This isn’t the first time we’ve maybe heard about a manufacturer doing this, how difficult it is to get things right in Formula One in the time of timescale they’re working with."

He continued: “They also expressed to me the notion that they F1 have underestimated Audi."

Extracts from a longer piece courtesy The judge13.com 31st July 24.

[Jericoke]

But an American racing company whose family has roots going back 50 years in Formula One, backed by one of the largest automotive manufactures on Earth, doesn't bring anything to the sport.

I don't really care if Audi is good or not, but reading this (and the disaster that Alpine seems to be creating on a daily basis) makes me really angry that 'they' feel Andretti has no place in F1. 

[lkjohnson1950]

Well, that is about money of course, not really about Andretti's competence.

[Jericoke]

Well, that is about money of course, not really about Andretti's competence.

True, except if both Renault and Audi prove to be embarrassing failures in F1, and if Honda and Ford don't get results right away, maybe the major manufacturers will once again pull out of F1, taking their money with them. (How long have their been rumours of Mercedes packing up?  Who knows if Aston Martin sticks around once Lance decides being asked why he's in the sport isn't fun anymore?)  Suddenly doesn't seem like Andretti is a detriment to sport at all when it comes to bringing in the money.

[lkjohnson1950]

On the bright side in a couple years there might be a selection of teams for Andretti to buy or buy into.