Allan McNish said the Audi F1 team needs “a blend of youth and experience” alongside “the right people for the right positions” to make a success of the project.

McNish, who drove for Toyota in Formula 1 either side of enormously successful stints with Audi in sportscar racing, added the Japanese marque “struggled a little” in that regard, as they “started from zero”.

Audi F1 project ‘all needs to gel’ upon F1 2026 entry

McNish drove to significant success with Audi, including three outright victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, before taking on a role as a driver liaison, then team principal for their Formula E outfit, and now sits as the Audi Group’s director for motorsport co-ordination.

Audi recently completed their full takeover of Sauber as they ramp up to becoming a works team in 2026, which is a different scenario under which McNish raced in Formula 1.

Where Toyota had “started from zero on everything”, Audi are taking on ownership of an existing team, but that does not mean challenges will not be in place for the German manufacturer.

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“It all needs to gel,” McNish told Formula1.com.

“You can’t just throw people into a room and expect it all to work.

“You need to have a blend of youth and experience, energising people and analytical people, and you’ve got to find the right people for the right positions.

“At Toyota, I think they struggled a little to do that, because they started from zero on everything.

“You can always learn from every experience, and especially the next experience. If you can just pull in a bit of thought, it guides you in the direction that you should be going.

“It’s a tough challenge, there’s no tougher place than where we’re heading, but that’s what gets you up in the morning. If you don’t like competition, you shouldn’t be in this game…”

A series of key hires have already taken place behind the scenes at Audi, with Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley already confirmed to be the team’s first team principal – and is slated to join the team no later than the summer of 2025.

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