It was revealed last week that Audi’s customer racing division will be downsized next year, with the German manufacturer ending the production of R8 LMS GT3 and other racing models within its range. Audi’s works driver pool will also be disbanded, impacting 14 drivers, while teams that are accustomed to receiving financial support from the brand will also be affected.
The decision about Audi’s impending departure was communicated to its 300 customers last Monday, following a board-level meeting.
A number of teams have since reacted poorly to the news, with heavy criticism being directed at Audi CEO Markus Duesmann, who is understood to have directed all of its resources to its upcoming Formula 1 project in 2026 at the cost of its existing motorsport programmes.
Former boss of the Phoenix Racing team Ernst Moser, whose works-backed squad won two DTM titles and claimed four Nurburgring 24 Hours wins for Audi, told Autosport's sister site Motorsport-Total.com: "That was the flagship of Audi Sport and [its slogan] Vorsprung durch Technik.
"For me, this is also a personal issue of certain people in the upper decision-making circles: before he leaves, someone wants to do everything so that the Formula 1 commitment has to be implemented. The people it affects don't deserve to have a structure like that die.
“This is his personal opinion and he does not know why they want to do F1 now and nothing else.
"You could have let it continue with small budgets, because the customers and their partners pay for almost everything themselves.
“But if this little plant continues to grow, it could perhaps be dangerous for the F1 project. That is why it is no longer watered and dried out.
"That's my impression: everything that could perhaps still prevent the F1 project [from happening] is now being destroyed."
Source: Autosport