Audi facing uphill struggle to get successful in F1
Aug.31 - Audi is facing an uphill struggle to produce an engine competitive enough to take on Formula 1's long-established main players.
That is the view of former driver Christian Danner, who warned those who are excited about the now-confirmed 2026 entry of the VW-owned marque.
"How realistic is it for them to make such an engine and also take over a Formula 1 team?" he told Sport1, referring to Audi's reported plans to buy 75 percent of the Swiss-based Sauber team that currently races as Alfa Romeo.
Markus Duesmann, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG (right), and Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development of AUDI AG
"The question is whether it can be done at all nowadays with all the restrictions. In any case, Audi is very ambitious," said Danner.
Interestingly, while the Audi-Sauber plan will involve the German manufacturer producing its own engine in Germany, fellow VW brand Porsche has quite different plans.
However, Porsche's expected 50 percent buyout of Red Bull has been delayed for now as the Austrian team expressed reservations about the influence its new works partner would have.
And if a deal is not ultimately struck, Porsche's 2026 entry could be completely thwarted as the plan was to team up with the newly-established Red Bull Powertrains subsidiary, which has already amassed a staff of 300.
Team boss Christian Horner thinks Red Bull is able to go it alone without Porsche, having already fired up a 'Red Bull Powertrains' power unit at the new factory.
He cast doubt on Audi's ability to do the same.
"It was important for us to get that first rung on the ladder, so it was a historic moment for the company to see the first ever engine fire into life just prior to the summer break," said Horner.
"But there's still a long, long way to go in terms of manufacturing capacity, etcetera, etcetera. And there are timelines for that to be in place, some of which are a slightly unrealistic.
"As a newcomer, I think it's a huge challenge. I mean, it's massive when you look at the current incumbents that we're competing against - the longevity, the continuity that they've had.
"Of course, a company like Audi speaks for itself. But the scale and the size of the challenge, as we've seen ourselves at Red Bull, is enormous - especially when you're starting from scratch."
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Come on Horny..!! Fired up a Rb powertains engine on test bed, yeah what you really mean Is, those banzei guys designed it built it , your guys may have pressed the start button
Q: How many guises has the original Sauber F1 had over the years?
A: Eight - the latest being Alfa Romeo.
It'll be nine once Audi buys 75% of the team sometime in 2024.
Of course, it's early days yet - but there is a long row to plough. Building a competitive engine is well within Audi's wheel-house - imagine a diesel powered F1 chassis. What blasphemy!! No more shrieking v-12's.
But who will design the chassis? You could put Jesus Christ himself in the current iteration, and He still wouldn't win a race even with a fancy new Audi powerplant. Maybe they'll poach Newey.
In any event, good times await us fans as three mighty German constructors clamor for the Crown in 2026.
"What's that sound?" one asked as the crash of Jack-Boots could be heard at the far end of the paddock ...
Jack boots, I didn't know where that phrase originated , but I do now, arggggggg The Frog, Snail and Horse eating Frenchies, how hard must that have been wearing them with a string of onions around there necks riding a Peugeot pushbike, morphed into English, then stolen by the Germans, did IP mean nothing back then lol
Well id agree its 2 mfrs C guy, we can agree to disagree on 3, but that's nowt new, was the same in 2008/9 with BMW and Merc, remember when engines were Cheap, but the mfrs wet themselves and Toyota/Honda and BMW pulled out ???????, now engines are 3/4/5 times the price and everyone wants in...!
Nah, no argument here, you are correct. Two not three German Constructors.
There are currently 5 engine manufacturers: Ferrari (3 teams); Mercedes (4 teams); Red Bull (2 teams); and, Renault (1 team).
Will Honda return in 2023? Which teams will sign-up?
As reported, Audi and Porsche will have their own bespoke engines, plus Red Bull has built a separate racing engine manufactory - so now that potentially makes 9 manufacturers by 2026.
Five of the 10 teams are independents - of which Red Bull builds their own engines - so there is a small population of potential customers for the engines to be sold to.
All this to say that the permutations are enough to be-fuddle the pundits. It's going to get interesting.
With my imagination as it is I'm thinking " now what part could sir Lulu play in the new series 3 top gun film alongside Tom cruise wearing his pink tea cosy hat and I can't come up with anything for top gun, but what keeps flashing through my mind is he could play the A teams" Howling Mad Murdock". Dwight scultz I'm sure that they would let him wear his pink tea cosy.
So what you're saying is, Lucy could reuse an old top gun saying, instead of I feel the need for speed, shed say I feel the need for a taffeta skirt and high heels just so I'm clear you understand. Maxes film career on the other hand is crystal clear, he could star in Mad Max"Mighty good Max""8, the eight referring to how many WDC hes going to probably win at the speed hes presently showing .
Oh my. The Dame in films? It'll be some awkward cameo walk-on, blurt out a couple of lines and exit stage-left.
What's the title of this alleged movie?