Official, Allan McNish is Audi’s new racing director

Changes to the Audi organization chart As had already been anticipated by Mattia Binotto following the controversial resignation of Jonathan Wheatley as team principal – when the former Ferrari driver had announced the hiring of a figure who could support him during the Grands Prix – Audi has changed its internal organization chart by appointing a new racing director since the Miami GP. This is Allan McNish, an Audi loyalist who with the house of the Rings achieved two of his three victories as a driver at the 24 hours of Le Mans and who had already followed the German manufacturer’s F1 project at the time of the announcement of Audi’s entry into the Circus in 2022. Furthermore, earlier this year McNish had already been appointed director of the Audi Driver Development Programme, the development program for young drivers launched by Audi. McNish’s words “It is a privilege to take on the role of race director of Audi: this is a brand that means a lot to me and it is an honor to be able to represent it on the most prestigious stage in motorsport. This is an exciting challenge at a crucial moment in the history of Audi and F1, and I look forward to contributing even more directly to our performance on the track,” commented McNish. “The project we are building is ambitious and my goal will be to ensure that all aspects of our racing operations are at the highest competitive level and continuously improving. Together with our Driver Development Program, to which I remain fully committed, I will focus on implementing the elements fundamental to our success, under the direction of Mattia and the Board of Directors.” Binotto’s words “Allan brings an exceptional combination of competitive experience, technical expertise and leadership skills to this role,” added Binotto. “He has been a central figure in Audi’s motorsport structure for many years and has played a key role in shaping our preparation for Formula 1, not least through his work within technical partnerships. This appointment strengthens our on-track leadership at a crucial stage of our project. Allan’s ability to connect all performance-related areas, from sports operations to driver development, will be crucial as we continue to build our team.” In fact, therefore, McNish becomes Wheatley’s heir and will coordinate all operations on the track, even if formally the role of team principal remains in the hands of Mattia Binotto, to whom the former F1 driver will have to report. However, the Scotsman will take over the reins of the team in the races in which Binotto is not present on the track because he is concentrated on development work in the Hinwil factory.