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Audi has officially confirmed the appointment of three-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Allan McNish to the newly-created position of Racing Director. The appointment, which takes effect from the Miami Grand Prix, marks a significant structural shift as the manufacturer continues to build its Formula 1 programme.
McNish will work directly under the leadership of Mattia Binotto, the head of the Audi F1 project. This strategic move follows Binotto’s recent signal at the Japanese Grand Prix—prompted by the departure of former team principal Jonathan Wheatley—that he required additional support to steer the team’s inaugural F1 campaign.
McNish is no stranger to the Audi motorsport family. Beyond his current role as head of the driver development programme, he previously served as team principal for the Audi Formula E project, where he successfully guided the team to the 2017/18 teams' title.
In his new capacity as Racing Director, McNish will assume responsibility for coordinating all trackside operations. According to the team, his remit includes the oversight of sporting matters, engineering coordination, driver management, race strategy, and garage operations, as well as managing on-track media and partner activities.
Reflecting on his new appointment, the 2013 World Endurance champion and former Toyota F1 driver stated: “It is a privilege to take on the role of Racing Director for Audi F1 Team: this is a marque that means a lot to me, and it is an honour to be able to represent Audi and our partners on the most prestigious stage in motorsports.”
McNish added: “This is an exciting challenge at a pivotal moment in the history of Audi and Formula 1, and I am looking forward to contributing even more directly to our trackside performance. The project we are building is ambitious, and my focus will be on ensuring that all aspects of our race operations are delivering at their most competitive level and continuously improving. Together with our Driver Development Programme, to which I remain fully committed, my focus will be on implementing the building blocks for our success, under the direction of Mattia and the Board of Directors.”
Mattia Binotto has lauded the appointment, emphasizing the "exceptional" experience McNish brings to the team at this critical juncture.
“Allan brings an exceptional combination of racing experience, technical understanding and leadership to this role,” Binotto noted. “He has been a central part of the motorsport structure of Audi for many years and, in his roles within Audi F1 Team since its start, has played a key role in shaping our preparation for Formula 1, not least with his work around technical partnerships.”
Binotto concluded that the appointment is vital for the team's trajectory: “This appointment strengthens our trackside leadership at a crucial stage of our project. Allan’s ability to connect all performance-related areas – from sporting operations to driver development – will be fundamental as we continue to build our team.”
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.
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