Allan McNish describes active work at Audi in preparation for 2026
Audi is preparing its arrival in Formula 1 in 2026 and wants to maximize its chances by investing significantly in new infrastructure and recruiting qualified personnel.
Allan McNish, who was a long-time Audi endurance driver, is one of the executives responsible for Ingolstadt’s Formula 1 program. According to him, the teams are not letting up their efforts and are working intensively to be as competitive as possible in 2026.
If this period of development before the start of competition can prove to be very stressful, the former endurance driver assures that the whole team is looking forward to getting on the track for the first race in 2026.
“I would say that the past 18 months have been busy, very busy,” he said on the Motorsport Magazine podcast.
“It’s an exciting time, and I believe there is no one within the company who isn’t eagerly anticipating the first race in 2026,” says Allan McNish.
The Scotsman wants to emphasize the importance of personnel in the Audi program by speaking about his experience in Formula 1. Indeed, McNish competed the entire 2002 season with Toyota as a regular driver. However, the lack of organization and communication within the Japanese team prevented him from fighting for victories or titles.
Between Toyota and Renault, there was no comparison.
An organization that he had immediately sensed within the Renault team. He drove as the third driver in 2003 and the French car was immediately faster than his previous Japanese car.
« At Toyota, they made the transition from Le Mans to Formula 1. It was a significant step for the brand. The staff was tripled to meet the demands of a Formula 1 program. That was 20 years ago, another era when budgets and engines were not limited. However, what was very clear to me is that when I switched from Toyota to Renault as a third driver at the end of 2002, my first lap was faster than my qualifying lap in the Toyota, states the former Formula 1 driver.
So, the difference between people who fight in the middle and where you fight for race wins is a huge gap. I don’t think anyone can underestimate this kind of level and now I think it’s even more true in high-level Formula 1, he concludes.
