Audi targets win by season three

Adam Baker, the CEO of Audi Method Racing, reveals that the German staff has a three-year plan which features a race win in that third season.

Whereas Andretti waits within the wings, F1 has been falling over itself in its purpose of attracting new producers to the game, and whereas Volkswagen and its numerous manufacturers have lengthy been linked to F1 the hypothesis at all times got here to nothing.

Nonetheless, the game’s rising consciousness of sustainability and the clear transfer in the direction of electrification was sufficient to persuade Volkswagen to lastly make the transfer, and whereas Porsche continues to be contemplating its choices, at Spa Francorchamps all F1’s prime brass have been current to announce Audi’s entry in 2026.

“There isn’t any single purpose,” Baker tells Spain’s AS of Audi’s determination to lastly enter F1, “there are a number of elements which have aligned to make it extraordinarily engaging for producers, particularly for Audi.

“F1 is in a transition interval with a sustainable idea for the championship,” he provides. “With new guidelines, which is able to introduce progressive energy items centered on {the electrical} half, plus sustainable fuels, it’s aligned with Audi’s future technique, directed in the direction of electrical mobility.

“Additionally, F1 has elevated in recognition. It’s by far the perfect media and advertising and marketing device within the motorsport world, and among the finest in any trade.

“On the identical time, F1 has achieved price discount and that makes it much more engaging. The engines of 2026 can have a spending ceiling and that, along with limiting prices, supplies certainty about long-term budgets.

“If you’d like a improbable platform to exhibit your competence and information twenty-four instances a yr, that is the perfect place.”

Initially, Audi will solely provide its personal staff, however is open to supplying buyer groups if required.

“We could also be required by the FIA to provide engines based on the laws,” he admits. “If that occurs, we might be ready, for positive. However proper now, we’re not in search of a consumer staff, it’s too early for that. We are going to concentrate on our programme as a manufacturing facility.

“We need to be aggressive in three years,” he says of his personal staff’s ambitions. “It’s a sensible aim. We need to compete for wins within the third yr.

“We’re conscious of the problem that lies forward,” he provides. “It’s engaging for Audi to enter 2026 as a result of we selected it forward of time. Now we have 42 months till the primary race. Within the final 30 years, it have to be one of the crucial superior selections of any producer.

“As well as, in 2026 a regulatory cycle begins, when normally others have entered in the course of a cycle. The facility items will change, but in addition the chassis. In some methods, it may possibly reset the benefit of skilled opponents up to now, and makes it simpler for brand new builders to be aggressive.

“Now the long-term work begins, the event of the facility unit throughout the new guidelines.

“The FIA will proceed to work with the groups for the 2026 chassis guidelines, which can be considerably totally different, and people I hope will probably be printed of their first model on the finish of 2023, maybe finalised in 2024.

“Then we’ll begin the chassis work, we’ll align the 2 issues and the assessments will start in 2025 and the competitors in 2026.”

Baker, who was born in Australia however has been a German citizen since 2018, started his profession in street automobile growth for Holden transitioning to motorsport in 2001. As an engine and programs engineer, he supported the Infiniti IndyCar manufacturing facility and buyer groups within the US, earlier than becoming a member of Cosworth as a race staff engineer with Arrows (2002), Jordan (2003), and later the Jaguar manufacturing facility staff (2004).

In the beginning of 2005, he grew to become the engine staff chief for Minardi earlier than transferring mid-season to BMW Motorsport as a race staff engineer for the BMW Williams staff after which the BMW Sauber F1 staff earlier than changing into the top of the race and check staff in 2007 for the BMW F1 powertrain.

In 2010, he took over as head of the powertrain division at BMW Motorrad Motorsport for BMW’s program within the Superbike World Championship. He led BMW Motorsport’s powertrain growth division in 2011, together with its DTM venture, and ran the whole DTM racing program and monitor testing beginning mid-2012.

From 2013 to 2018, he was accountable for all race and check packages at BMW Motorsport and buyer automobile construct. This included Method E, WEC, IMSA, DTM, GT3, and GT4 classes. Between 2018 and 2021, he was the Security Director for the FIA, accountable for growing and implementing technical and operational options to stop deadly and severe accidents in motorsport.

In 2021, he moved to Audi, the place he developed the technical, strategic, operational and monetary idea for the model’s first involvement within the Method 1 World Championship. He’s the CEO of Audi Method Racing GmbH, reporting to Oliver Hoffmann, Board Member for Technical Improvement at Audi AG.