Audi does not plan to enter F1 in 2016
Wolfgang Ullrich denied the rumors about Audi entering Formula 1 in 2016. He also specified that the arrival of Stefano Domenicali was not related to the racing division of the German brand.
Audi’s arrival in F1 has been the subject of rumors for several years now, especially with Porsche – a brand of the Volkswagen group like Audi – entering Endurance racing. However, the brand with the rings once again reiterated that F1 is not on their radar amidst the recent emergence of new rumors.
Wolfgang Ullrich, head of competition at Audi, denied to Autosport that the German manufacturer is preparing a team to be in F1 in 2016: “There is no decision to go in this direction. Audi has a competition program that is currently based on the World Endurance Championship and DTM, and we are working on the cars for next season. There is no other program.”
Dr. Ullrich also wanted to clarify that the recruitment of Stefano Domenicali, former director of Scuderia Ferrari, was not related to Audi’s motorsport branch: « Yes, he has joined Audi, but we have not yet stated what his job will be; no, he will not be involved in motorsport. »
Asked whether Audi aspired to participate in the F1 World Championship in the longer term, he replied: « There is nothing decided. »
Wolfgang Ullrich also addressed the rumors of Fernando Alonso’s arrival in case of a sabbatical year in 2015, merely denying any discussion with the Spaniard: « Mr. Alonso was in our booth at Le Mans this year [where he gave the honorary start of the 24 Hours], and that’s all – there is no contact. »
