When Audi officially announced the start of the Formula 1 program in August 2022, one of those who made the announcement was Markus Duismann, the chairman of the company’s board of directors.
But at yesterday’s meeting of the supervisory board of the Volkswagen Group, it was decided that Duismann would step down from his post on September 1 and be replaced by Gernot Dölner, who was previously responsible for the overall strategy of the entire group.
Of course, Audi management thanked Duismann for his important work as head of the company, specifically highlighting his role in developing the “electrification strategy”.
According to the magazine Der Spiegel, changes in personnel are associated with criticism that caused Duismann’s work, in particular, under him, sales in the main Chinese market began to decline, and the development of electric vehicle production was not fast enough. Against this background, his relationship with VW Group head Oliver Blume became more complicated.
At the same time, the German press writes that Duismann’s departure should not affect the program in Formula 1, although he was one of the main enthusiasts for the creation of the factory Audi team, and all the processes that began under him, in particular, the acquisition of Sauber Motorsport’s shares will continue.
Work on the creation of its own hybrid power plant is in full swing, this is being done at the base in Neuburg by a specially established company Audi Formula Racing GmbH, which already employs more than 260 specialists. By the end of the year, the workforce should exceed 300 people. The base will also be expanded, the necessary infrastructure will be created and equipment will be purchased.
The state-of-the-art test benches for future engines should be assembled and commissioned early next year on the base’s new construction site. But the first prototype of a racing power plant, consisting of an internal combustion engine, a hybrid component, an energy storage device and control electronics, is scheduled to be made in 2023.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
