Beat Zehnder to leave Audi F1 team at end of 2026

Audi says Beat Zehnder will leave its Formula 1 team at the end of December 2026, as the organisation restructures its operations ahead of the 2027 season. The team announced his departure on Friday, October 30, and thanked him for 39 years of service across Sauber and Audi’s operations in Hinwil, Switzerland. Zehnder joined Sauber Motorsport in 1988, initially working in its sportscar programme. He moved into Formula 1 when Sauber entered the championship in 1993 and became team manager in 1994. He joined the team’s management committee in 2018, then later took responsibility for Audi’s heritage activities as Director of Signature Programs and Operations. Audi’s statement said Zehnder had worked on 601 consecutive Formula One races and 36 World Sportscar Championship races. The team also credited him with mentoring hundreds of team members and drivers who passed through Hinwil. Its statement did not describe what Zehnder plans to do after his departure. Before its Formula 1 programme, Sauber achieved success in endurance racing. The team’s sportscar operation won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the World Sportscar Championship in 1989 and 1990, according to Audi’s account of...