Trouble is allegedly brewing within Audi’s budding Formula 1 ranks between CEO Andreas Seidl and Chief Representative Oliver Hoffmann, according to reports.
Hoffmann was practically ousted by Audi CEO Gernot Dollner from the German marque’s board and displaced into the F1 operation.
The decision to install Hoffmann within the Formula 1 effort back in March created another level of senior management which from the outside appears to conflict with Seidl’s duties.
Hoffmann is responsible for overseeing all pillars of Audi’s F1 project, including the Hinwill-base operated by Sauber, the development of the Audi power unit in Neuburg and the strategic direction of the F1 team.
Meanwhile, Seidl, as CEO, is charged with implementing the Audi F1 dream as its public face.
On paper, the two roles sound remarkably similar and according to AutoAction‘s sources, both Seidl and Hoffmann have come into conflict.
It is reported that Hoffmann wants to sack Seidl, absorb his duties as CEO and poach Aston Martin’s Mike Krack to become Audi Team Principal.
Seidl, meanwhile, is allegedly urging Audi’s Board of Directors to boot out Hoffmann, absorb his duties as Chief Representative and appoint Krack as Audi Team Principal.
So in its essence, the two most senior members of Audi’s F1 takeover of Sauber allegedly have the same idea of who best to steer the team in 2026 and beyond (Krack), but neither party wants the other to get the credit and would sooner see them removed entirely.
The reported strife at Audi strikes all the hallmarks of a corporate mindset installing too many cooks in the F1 kitchen, which often reflects poorly out on track.
Still, that hasn’t stopped Audi from appointing former Mercedes employee Stefan Strähnz in the newly created position of Programme Director at Sauber, reporting directly to Seidl.
If reports of an internal struggle within the Audi F1 revolution prove true, they will need to be dealt with quickly for the greater good of the entire project.
Not least because there is plenty of work to be done ahead of Audi’s 2026 F1 entry.
The team in its current guise, Sauber, is the slowest on the grid and there’s still the small matter of completing the 2025 driver line-up.
Nico Hulkenberg is already confirmed for 2025 and beyond, but his team-mate still needs selecting, with Carlos Sainz stalling and multiple options waiting in the wings, including the likes of Esteban Ocon and Liam Lawson.
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