Audi CEO Gernot Döllner: "The future will definitely be electric"

(Motorsport-Total.com) - When the engine manufacturers involved in Formula 1 discussed what the power unit of the future might look like in Bahrain a good two weeks ago, some took a clearer stance than others. Among the manufacturers for whom a return to naturally aspirated V10 engines is considered almost unthinkable is Audi. And that's not surprising in the larger context.

While Christian Horner, who represented Red Bull Powertrains at the meeting, can well imagine converting Formula 1 to traditional and loudly screeching naturally aspirated engines powered by sustainable e-fuels, this path seems to be a no-go for some of the major car manufacturers.

Against this backdrop, an interview that Audi CEO Gernot Döllner gave to the Süddeutsche Zeitung at the end of March is interesting. In it, he says, among other things: "Just look at everything that has happened in the past two years alone. First, e-mobility couldn't move fast enough. And then they said again: It'll never happen. But these are merely fluctuations on a long road. The future will definitely be electric."

Döllner—and this is important in this context—doesn't talk about Formula 1 specifically in the interview, but rather about the direction of the Audi brand as a whole. But one thing is clear: If the Audi CEO says that the future will "definitely be electric," then a Formula 1 orientation with conventional naturally aspirated engines, in which Audi will be represented with its own factory team starting in 2026 (based on the current Sauber team), is virtually unthinkable. At least not with Audi.

For Döllner, the political debate about the phase-out of combustion engines, which is particularly emotional in Germany, "would have ended two years ago. Unfortunately, what this goal was all about has been forgotten: measures against climate change. We should avoid looking back one day and realizing that we are lagging behind in our goal of becoming CO2-neutral," he says.

In any case, Audi is "consistently working to make our portfolio fully electric. Audi's future is electric," says Döllner, adding: "Ultimately, it's the customers who decide. And many are particularly unsettled when e-mobility is publicly questioned. Moreover, the electricity price for fast charging is sometimes so high that there's no incentive at all to forgo the combustion engine."

Audi is currently undergoing a transformation phase in which 7,500 jobs will be eliminated in Germany by the end of 2029. In the medium term, the restructuring is expected to save around one billion euros per year. Döllner said in May: "Audi must become faster, more agile, and more efficient. One thing is clear: This cannot be achieved without personnel adjustments."

However, the Formula 1 program is not currently considered at risk. Audi only brought on board a strategic partner in November 2024, the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), which has since controlled a "significant minority stake." According to Döllner, this move "underscores Audi's commitment to Formula 1" and does not represent an exit scenario .