Rob Smedley has delivered a ringing endorsement of Audi’s Formula 1 ambitions, highlighting the sheer scale of the German manufacturer’s investment and declaring its Neuburg power unit facility “second to none”.
The former Ferrari race engineer was assessing the progress of the F1 field during an appearance on the High Performance Racing podcast with host Jake Humphrey and former Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer.
While Audi’s arrival as a full works operation has inevitably brought a steep learning curve, Smedley believes the foundations being laid in Germany could ultimately give the manufacturer the platform it needs to become a serious force in Formula 1.
From struggling Sauber to major works project
Audi inherited a Sauber organisation that had endured several difficult seasons before the German manufacturer completed its transformation into a works team for 2026.
Smedley did not hold back when describing the state of the operation before Audi’s takeover.
“Sauber, I mean, they were pretty desperate these last two or three years. They were just awful, there’s no other word for it,” the Briton said.
Szafnauer pointed out that Audi had already owned the team during that period, meaning it had access to substantial financial backing and a respectable technical infrastructure.
Smedley agreed that Sauber had possessed an important asset for years in the form of its wind tunnel, but argued that the transformation taking place on the powertrain side represents something on an entirely different scale.
“They’ve always had a very good wind tunnel, or have for a long time. But now, if you look at their facility in Germany, the engine facility, the power unit facility, that is second to none, and they’re still building and still going on it,” he added.
“So, this is a huge project for them. Hinwil as a Formula 1 facility leaves maybe a little bit to be desired. But they’re expanding that, and there are plans of where they want to go with it. So, this is a really important project for them.”
Audi given room to accelerate development
That long-term investment could prove particularly significant under Formula 1’s new engine regulations, with Audi having made the decision to develop its power unit from the ground up rather than rely on an established manufacturer.
The scale of the challenge was underlined by the FIA’s assessment of the opening two review windows for the new Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities system.
©Audi
Audi was judged to be more than four percent behind the leading Red Bull-Ford power unit, placing it among the manufacturers eligible for the maximum development concessions.
Alongside Ferrari and Honda, Audi has therefore been granted two additional homologations for 2026 and another two for 2027, as well as increased allowances for testing and spending.
For a manufacturer still finding its feet in Formula 1, those concessions offer valuable breathing space.
And with Smedley insisting that Audi’s Neuburg operation is already “second to none” and continuing to expand, the German outfit’s current deficit may tell only part of the story.
The performance gap may be significant today, but Audi is clearly building with a much bigger target in mind.
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