Adam Baker, CEO of Audi Formulation Racing GmbH, and CTO Stefan Dreyer give an replace on progress with the German producer’s engine, resulting from be a part of the F1 grid in 2026.
Work on the ability unit for Audi’s Formulation 1 entry has been underway for greater than two years. The specifically created Audi Formulation Racing GmbH (AFR) in Neuburg a. d. Donau is accountable for the event of the F1 hybrid drive (“Energy Unit”) and has efficiently accomplished the set-up part.
Along with the Hinwil facility, the crew from Neuburg will type the long run manufacturing facility crew with which Audi will compete from 2026. The Audi F1 Energy Unit “Made in Germany” is making nice progress behind closed doorways and AFR CEO Adam Baker and AFR CTO Stefan Dreyer have supplied an perception into the present standing.
Work on the event of the Audi Energy Unit for Formulation 1 has been underway on the Neuburg facility since spring 2022. What has been achieved up to now?Adam Baker: After simply two years, our Energy Unit, consisting of a combustion engine, electrical motor, battery and management electronics, is working dynamically on the check bench. Efficiently marrying the assorted parts right into a single unit is the results of arduous work and nice teamwork. The Audi Energy Unit has already coated simulated race distances on the check bench. We gained a whole lot of testing time with the person parts in 2023 and have been in a position to incorporate the expertise gained into the subsequent building levels in parallel. Vital milestones and objectives have been achieved, which supplies your entire crew a very good feeling.
Stefan Dreyer: We applied a really formidable modernization and enlargement of our check facility. In the present day, we’ve got 22 state-of-the-art check benches on the web site. Our new improvement instruments are state-of-the-art and have enabled us to attain a steep studying curve. By testing on the check bench beneath simulated racing situations we achieve necessary insights on this part of the mission. After the profitable race distances with the Energy Unit we are going to quickly be doing the identical with your entire drive system, which implies the mixture of Energy Unit and transmission. On the identical time, we’re going full throttle with efficiency improvement with a view to obtain the objectives we’ve got set ourselves.
On which tracks has the Audi Energy Unit already been pushed? SD: We run the Energy Unit on the check bench with totally different layouts from the present F1 calendar, relying on the aim of the check. For instance, Las Vegas is fascinating for our improvement crew when it comes to total vitality administration. A number of alternating quick and gradual corners and virtually two kilometres of full throttle driving on the Las Vegas Strip present the right improvement surroundings for fine-tuning the combustion engine and the ERS (Power Restoration System) parts.
AB: Listening to the Audi Energy Unit being simulated right now on tracks like Spielberg, Singapore or Las Vegas, not solely offers everybody concerned goosebumps, but in addition offers us the sensation that we’re an enormous step nearer to our first race in 2026.
How has the event division set itself up for this difficult mission? SD: It was significantly necessary to determine a broad base in all areas, to create a very good basis for the event of the person parts – combustion engine, electrical motor, battery, management electronics, software program – to coordinate them with one another at an early stage. Our expertise from earlier motorsport tasks with high-voltage expertise, Le Mans, Formulation E, but in addition from the present Dakar mission, has helped us loads. We now have already confirmed up to now that we will develop typical, hybridized and purely electrical drivetrains. However, the problem in Formulation 1 is a very totally different one when it comes to cutting-edge expertise and competitors. This additionally applies to our companions and suppliers – we’re experiencing a really sturdy dedication from all sides.
Although the development in Neuburg has been accomplished, is the depth nonetheless growing? AB: There have been particular milestones virtually each month for the reason that begin of the mission in spring 2022, for instance the beginning of building for our infrastructure enlargement, the beginning of testing for the single-cylinder, the primary check bench run of the electrical motor and the V6 engine and the primary race distances with the whole Energy Unit. The truth that our whole crew can absolutely focus on the event of the Energy Unit for 2026 is a bonus for Audi. The remaining time till 2026 is all about reaching our improvement objectives when it comes to most total automobile efficiency with full focus. It can stay thrilling till the primary race – and after that, after all, too.
SD: Depth is an effective key phrase for our efficiency improvement. The laws enable a complete of three check benches for single-cylinder exams, for instance, which aren’t restricted by the FIA when it comes to working instances. We use this most quantity on the facility as intensively as attainable for the event of combustion processes for inside combustion engines. Up to now, we’ve got achieved all of the targets we set ourselves for efficiency and effectivity on this part. As well as, our gasoline improvement has been working since 2022 with a robust accomplice who has a few years of expertise in Formulation 1. It is a actually decisive issue for our mission, as the brand new sustainable gasoline for 2026 could have even higher aggressive relevance.
A value cap has additionally been in place for the event of the Energy Unit since this 12 months. How can we think about day-to-day enterprise beneath the FIA’s value cap? AB: Like all different Formulation 1 groups and Energy Unit producers, we have been confronted with the problem of setting ourselves up accordingly. It is all about cost-cap effectivity and cost-cap conformity. One benefit was that we have been in a position to begin on a clean sheet of paper, so to talk, creating our personal firm, Audi Formulation Racing GmbH, for the mission. We had a transparent image of buildings, methods, processes and the correct mindset proper from the beginning. The subject of finance has a direct affect on efficiency because of the value cap. There has by no means been such a direct hyperlink between operational effectivity and sporting success in Formulation 1. The truth that we will function on the restrict of the fee cap with PU improvement places us on a par with our rivals.
How necessary was it to have the ability to fall again on an current infrastructure on the Neuburg web site?SD: The infrastructure created by Audi for motorsport in 2014 has been an excellent foundation. It has put us able to start out Energy Unit improvement in 2022. To adapt this infrastructure to the Formulation 1 use case, we constructed a brand new constructing for added check benches, state-of-the-art workshops and laboratories in parallel with our improvement actions. All new check benches at the moment are in operation and allow us to proceed improvement at full throttle.
For the primary time lately, an F1 Energy Unit is being developed in Germany once more. Was it troublesome to recruit workers for the Neuburg web site? AB: The native proximity to our guardian firm Audi in Ingolstadt is a superb benefit for us in some ways. There are a lot of technical specialists within the area, particularly for the event of drivetrain parts. The opposite F1 Energy Unit producers are primarily based within the UK, France, Italy and Japan. If you wish to usher in workers from rivals, they often have to maneuver to a different nation – that is a problem, however it’s no higher for us than for anybody else. Folks not solely should be ready to vary employer, but in addition the nation. The truth that we have been profitable in recruiting skilled engineers and technicians from all different Energy Unit producers exhibits that our mission and the placement are enticing – additionally for worldwide specialists and skills. We now have a broad combine within the crew with workers from 23 international locations.
SD: Not solely do we’ve got a broad worldwide base, however we’ve got additionally strengthened our current motorsport experience at Audi Sport with exterior F1 experience. This has helped to speed up our studying curve significantly. Everyone seems to be giving the mission most velocity and is eagerly trying ahead to getting into Formulation 1. Motivation is extraordinarily excessive, and we sense a robust crew spirit.
Are you able to give us an outlook? What subjects are Neuburg and Hinwil already engaged on collectively? SD: On the technical aspect, we’re already working in a real manufacturing facility crew mode throughout each websites. The main focus right here is on integrating the Energy Unit with necessary particulars resembling thermal administration. There’s additionally shut cooperation on the gearbox. We develop the internals in Neuburg, whereas the structural components such because the gearbox housing and rear axle are produced in Hinwil. Testing of the whole drive, consisting of the Energy Unit and transmission, then takes place on our powertrain check bench. This division is expedient when it comes to efficiency and experience.
AB: We made an early begin with the 2026 idea crew in Hinwil again in January 2023. This work is now being intensified with the present chassis laws. Our purpose is obvious: to totally exploit the benefits and prospects of a manufacturing facility crew when it comes to packaging and integration of the Energy Unit.
